A heart attack (also known as myocardial infarction) occurs when a blood clot forms in one of the coronary arteries which supply the heart muscle with blood. This interupted blood flow to the heart can either damage or destroy a part of the heart muscle. The blood clots form in response to the build up of fatty matter, calcium, proteins and inflammatory cells which form plaques of different sizes. When the plaque's hard outer shell begins to crack, platelets come to the area and blood clots form around the plaque.
Sometimes a blockage is caused by a spasm (sudden narrowing) in the coronary artery.
The amount of damage to the heart muscle is determined by:
The British Heart Foundation estimates that 268,000 people have a heart attack in the UK each year. In comparison with other Western European countries, only Ireland and Finland have a higher death rate. People of South Asian origin almost a 50% higher death rate than the general population. In the UK death rates have fallen by 25% since 1996. It is recommended that people should receive treatment within two hours of the heart attack occurring.
There are many things that people can do to reduce the risk of having a heart attack and to prevent the recurrence of an attack.
