Breaking down the Heart Attack

What is a heart attack?

A heart attack is also known as a Myocardial Infarction.

It is due to blockage to the flow of blood that brings oxygen to a part of the heart muscle.

• If the heart muscle is not fixed quick enough, the heart muscle will begin to die.

Affecting factors

• Age

• Lifestyle Habits

• Other medical conditions

  can be some of the reasons to a heart happening.

Symptoms

• Chest and upper body pain

• Shortness of breath

• Dizziness

• Sweating

• Nausea

(National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute,2022)

Women may often experience different symptoms such as:

• Pain in the shoulder, arm or back

• Upset stomach

• Shortness of breath

• Anxiety

• An unusual weakness and tiredness

  (These can happen together with or without chest pain).

(National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute,2022)

What to do?

• Call 999 if you think you may be having a heart attack

• Try to sit down and stay calm

Causes of a heart attack

• Most heart attacks are caused by 'Coronary Heart Disease' (CHD).

• CHD causes the coronary arteries to become narrowed by fatty deposit build up, known as 'atheroma'.

• A piece of this atheroma breaks off and a blood clot forms around it, endeavouring to

  repair the artery wall damage.

• This blood clot can then block the coronary artery and deprive the heart muscle of blood and oxygen, possibly leading to heart attack.

Treatment

Emergency/quick treatment is usually needed to get the blood glow and oxygen reaching the heart muscle again.

Some of these treatments can be:

• Coronary angioplasty- where one or more stents are put into the narrowed/blocked artery, trying to push away the plaque and allow for a more open airway so blood supply to the heart is improved.

• Thrombolysis- Taking a medication that dissolves the blood clot blocking the coronary artery.

• Coronary bypass surgery- Involves attachment of a blood vessel from your arm, leg or chest into your heart in order to go around the blocked artery, to support bringing back a normal blood flow again.

You may be given medication such as

• Antiplatelets

• ACE Inhibitors/ARB's

• Beta blockers

• Statins

• Glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) spray.

How to reduce the risk of heart attack?

• Keep active and regular exercise

• Having and maintaining a healthy diet and weight

• No or limited alcohol intake (recommendation is 14 units per week)

• Stopping smoking or the use of other tobacco products

• Monitoring and controlling sugar levels if you have diabetes

• Controlling high blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Not doing these things can contribute to increased plaque build up in the arteries, leading to heart attack and/or other heart conditions and diseases.

Increased chances?

• Family history is also a risk factor but something that cannot be controlled.

You can be at higher risk of conditions that lead to heart attack or stroke if you have or had family members that have/had heart or circulatory disease.

• Age- Ethnic background and sex at birth can also increase chances/effect chances of developing a heart condition.

  
  

• Having had a previous heart attack

(British Heart Foundation,2023)

Remember: It is vital to get medical attention if you are or suspect you are having a heart attack.

References

British Heart Foundation (2023) Heart Attack, Available at:https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/conditions/heart-attack?gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21520159325&gbraid=0AAAAAD-4HZMGR08ED3O5s1_sB60E_Xckx&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIts7WmJPEjwMV5qVQBh3ZuDBeEAAYASAAEgKeMfD_BwE (Accessed: 6 September 2025).

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (2022) Heart Attacks in Women, Available at:https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/heart-attack/women (Accessed: 6 September 2025).

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (2022) What is a Heart Attack, Available at:https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/heart-attack (Accessed: 4 September 2025).

Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board