Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction)
The most common cause of a heart attack is coronary artery disease and is also known as a myocardial infarction (MI)
Heart needs a good blood supply to function. A heart attack occurs if an artery supplying blood to the heart gets blocked. This stops the blood flow to the heart muscle which may get damaged if the blood supply is not restored quickly. The longer the blockage is left untreated the more the damage occurs. Without urgent treatment to restore the blood flow, the damage can be permanent.
A heart attack can be fatal. Each day, an average of 21 Australians die from a heart attack. One patient is admitted to an Australian hospital with a heart attack every nine minutes (source: national heart foundation):
Who Is At Risk?
In men, the risk for heart attack increases significantly after the age of 45. In women, heart attacks are more likely to occur in the years after menopause (usually, after the age of 50). However, younger men and women can also have heart attacks.
Besides age, factors that increase the risk for heart attack are:
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A previous heart attack or procedure to open up the coronary arteries
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Family history of early heart disease: Father or brother diagnosed before age 55, mother or sister diagnosed before age 65
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Diabetes mellitus
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High blood cholesterol
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High blood pressure
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Cigarette smoking
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Overweight
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Physical inactivity
Symptoms Vary for Women
Women tend to experience heart attacks about ten years later in life than their male-counterparts. Also, women are twice as likely to die within few weeks of suffering a heart attack.
There are a number of things one can do to help lower the risk of having a heart attack, including being physically active, adopting a health diet and managing your weight and stress levels.
If you have one or more of these factors, see your doctor to find out how to reduce your risk of having a heart attack.