What is the difference between a heart attack and a myocardial infarction?

Ischemia results when the heart muscle is starved for oxygen and nutrients. When damage or death of part of the heart muscle occurs as a result of ischemia, it’s called a heart attack, or myocardial infarction (MI). About every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a heart attack.

What is a catastrophic heart attack?

Unlike heart attacks, which occur when blood flow is slowed or prevented by a blockage in one or more of the coronary arteries, sudden cardiac arrest results from a catastrophic failure of the heart’s rhythm or underlying electrical circuitry. The heart beats dangerously fast.

What happens to your body after a heart attack?

Surgery after a heart attack. Heart attack patients have coronary artery disease, a condition in which the blood vessels that supply oxygen to the heart are narrowed. Stress from surgery can lead to inflammation in the body, which in turn can cause plaques on the walls of arteries to break off and block blood flow, de Virgilio said.

What happens if there is no treatment for heart attack?

The more time that passes without treatment to restore blood flow, the greater the damage to the heart muscle. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the main cause of heart attack. A less common cause is a severe spasm, or sudden contraction, of a coronary artery that can stop blood flow to the heart muscle.

Is there such a thing as a silent heart attack?

Heart Attack. One of 5 heart attacks is silent—the damage is done, but the person is not aware of it. 1 Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the main cause of heart attack. A less common cause is a severe spasm, or sudden contraction, of a coronary artery that can stop blood flow to the heart muscle.

What is the most common cause of heart attack?

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the main cause of heart attack. A less common cause is a severe spasm, or sudden contraction, of a coronary artery that can stop blood flow to the heart muscle.