HEART ATTACK: Facts to know
Definition A heart attack is a medical emergency in which the supply of blood to the heart becomes blocked, often as the result of a blood clot. Other terms used for a heart attack include myocardial infarction, cardiac infarction, and coronary thrombosis. An infarction is when the blood supply to an area is cut off, and the tissue in that area dies. A heart attack is often confused for a cardiac arrest. While they are both medical emergencies, a heart attack is the blockage of an artery leading to the heart, and a cardiac arrest involves the heart stopping the pumping of blood around the body. A heart attack can lead to cardiac arrest. Congestive heart failure : Heart failure is a serious condition in which the heart is not pumping blood around the body efficiently. A heart attack is the death of a segment of heart muscle caused by a loss of blood supply. The blood is usually cut off when an artery supplying the heart muscle is blocked by a blood clot. If some of the heart musc...