If you require emergency medical attention, please call 911 to access your local emergency services. 

Overview

What Is a Heart Attack?

man-pressing-hand-into-chest-heart-attack

A heart attack, also known as acute myocardial infarction (AMI), is an urgent message from your heart that it’s starved for oxygen. When a clot blocks a heart vessel, oxygen-rich blood can’t reach your heart. As a result, heart muscle begins to die and symptoms of a heart attack begin.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in men and women. Learn the symptoms of a heart attack so you are better prepared to act in an emergency. Quick access to medical care can minimize damage to the heart muscle and improve the outcome.

Related Resources

  • Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) Discharge Guidelines: Read helpful information to assist your recovery from ACS. English | Spanish
  • Beta-Adrenergic Blocking Brochure: Learn important information about this medication.
  • Warning Signs of a Heart Attack: Acute chest pain is the most common warning sign of heart attacks in both Men and Women.
  • CPR and Defibrillators: CPR may help you save the life of someone who goes into cardiac arrest. Learn more about CPR by taking this quiz.
  • Nonsurgical Treatment Options for Heart Attack: Not everyone who has had a heart attack needs open-heart surgery, such as a bypass operation. A procedure known as angioplasty can help unblock arteries. And people can do well with medication, gradual exercise, and healthy lifestyle changes.