Health Resource Center
Heart Attack/Myocardial Infarction
Aug 20th 2008
There
are more than a million heart attacks every year in the United States and as
many as half of those having a heart attack will die before seeking medical
attention. Additionally, a large number of those experiencing heart
attacks have no prior knowledge of any type of heart disease and have
experienced no symptoms previously suggesting the presence of heart disease.
Many have none of the “traditional” risk factors
for heart disease.
A heart attack is
the term utilized to describe a condition in which the blood supply to the
heart muscle is completely interrupted. This results in the initiation of
damage to the heart muscle. If the blockage is not quickly relieved, this
can result in permanent damage to the heart muscle, essentially, to that part
of the heart muscle supplied by the blocked artery. Generally, it is felt
that irreversible damage begins to occur within 20 minutes of complete
interruption of blood flow. However, the amount of damage is progressive
and in general the greater the amount of time between the interruption of blood
flow and the restoration of blood flow, the greater the amount of damage and
the less the chance that the damage is reversible. If the heart muscle is
irreversibly damaged, the heart in general is left weakened, and if this is
severe enough, a patient is left with a condition called “heart failure" An acute complication of a heart attack includes
arrhythmias,
some of which are sudden and cause immediate death. Arrhythmias can
continue to be a potential complication months or years later.
Occasionally, the electrical system of the heart is damaged resulting in slow
heartbeats and the requirement for a pacemaker.
Click here to learn more about heart attacks.