Heart Attack: MedlinePlus

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Heart Attack: MedlinePlus


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National Institutes of Health

 

Heart Attack

URL of this page: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heartattack.html

Also called: MI, Myocardial infarction

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Each year over a million people in the U.S. have a heart attack. About half of them die. Many people have permanent heart damage or die because they don't get help immediately. It's important to know the symptoms of a heart attack and call 9-1-1 if someone is having them. Those symptoms include

• Chest discomfort - pressure, squeezing, or pain
• Shortness of breath
• Discomfort in the upper body - arms, shoulder, neck, back
• Nausea, vomiting, dizziness, lightheadedness, sweating

These symptoms can sometimes be different in women.
What exactly is a heart attack? Most heart attacks happen when a clot in the coronary artery blocks the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart. Often this leads to an irregular heartbeat - called an arrhythmia - that causes a severe decrease in the pumping function of the heart. A blockage that is not treated within a few hours causes the affected heart muscle to die.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

 

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

• Apolipoprotein B100
• Apolipoprotein CII
• Being active after your heart attack
• Cardiac catheterization
• Cardiac catheterization - discharge
• Cardiogenic shock
• Coronary angiography
• CPK isoenzymes test
• Creatine phosphokinase test
• Echocardiogram
• 
  

  Electrocardiogram Heart attack Heart attack - discharge Heart attack - what to ask your doctor Heart attack first aid Heart disease and intimacy Lactate dehydrogenase test LDH isoenzymes Lipoprotein-a Myoglobin - serum Myoglobin - urine Pericarditis - after heart attack Thrombolytic drugs for heart attack Thrombolytic therapy Troponin test

  

  

Related Topics

• Angina
• Cardiac Rehabilitation
• Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
• Coronary Artery Disease
• Heart Diseases
• Blood, Heart and Circulation

National Institutes of Health

• The primary NIH organization for research on Heart Attack is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

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Start Here

• About Heart Attacks(American Heart Association)
• Heart Attack(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• Also available in Spanish
• Heart Attack(Patient Education Institute)
• Also available in Spanish

 

Overviews

• Don't Take a Chance with a Heart Attack: Know the Facts and Act Fast(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - PDF
• Heart Attack(American Academy of Family Physicians)
• Heart Attack(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• JAMA Patient Page: Myocardial Infarction(American Medical Association)

Latest News

• Higher Strength Statins Do Not Increase Risk of Kidney Injury(06/19/2013, American Heart Association)
• Alzheimer's Drugs May Benefit Heart, Study Finds(06/05/2013, HealthDay)
• PTSD After Heart Attack Linked to Poor Sleep(05/30/2013, HealthDay)
• High Doses of Common Painkillers May Raise Risk for Heart Trouble(05/30/2013, HealthDay)
• Risk of Death, Hospital Readmission Prolonged After Heart Attack, Heart Failure(05/16/2013, American Heart Association)
• Post-ER Care for Chest Pain Reduces Risk of Heart Attack, Death(04/01/2013, American Heart Association)
• More News on Heart Attack

Diagnosis/Symptoms

• Cardiac Biomarkers(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
• Cardiac MRI(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• CK (Creatine Kinase) Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
• CK-MB Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
• Coronary Angiography(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• Echocardiography(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• Ejection Fraction: What Does It Measure?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Electrocardiogram(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• Myoglobin Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
• Nuclear Heart Scan(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT)(American Heart Association)
• Stress Testing(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• Troponins Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
• Warning Signs of Heart Attack, Stroke and Cardiac Arrest(American Heart Association)

Treatment

• Cardiac Catheterization(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• How Is a Heart Attack Treated?(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• Medicines to Treat Heart Attack(American Academy of Family Physicians)
• MedlinePlus: Angioplasty(National Library of Medicine)
• Also available in Spanish
• MedlinePlus: Blood Thinners(National Library of Medicine)
• Also available in Spanish
• Radial Artery Catheterization(American Heart Association)
• Return to top

Prevention/Screening

• Aspirin for Reducing Your Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke: Know the Facts(Food and Drug Administration)
• Can Vitamins Help Prevent a Heart Attack?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Coronary Calcium Scan(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• hs-CRP (High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein)(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
• Lifestyle Changes(American Heart Association)
• MedlinePlus: Heart Diseases--Prevention(National Library of Medicine)
• Also available in Spanish
• Talk with Your Doctor about Taking Aspirin Every Day(Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion)
• Return to top

Rehabilitation/Recovery

• After a Heart Attack: Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor(Harvard Medical School)
• Heart Attack Recovery FAQs(American Heart Association)
• How Will I Recover from My Heart Attack?(American Heart Association)
• Also available in Spanish
• MedlinePlus: Cardiac Rehabilitation(National Library of Medicine)
• Also available in Spanish
• Return to top

Disease Management

• Heart Attack: Tips for Recovering and Staying Well(American Academy of Family Physicians)
• Return to top

Specific Conditions

• Acute Coronary Syndrome(American Heart Association)
• Cardiogenic Shock(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• Silent Heart Attack: What Are the Risks?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Return to top

Related Issues

• Broken Heart Syndrome(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Can Patients with Cardiovascular Disease Take Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs?(American Heart Association)
• Depression After Heart Attack(American Heart Association)
• Dressler's Syndrome(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Drug-Eluting Stents: Do They Increase Heart Attack Risk?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Heart Attack or Sudden Cardiac Arrest: How Are They Different?(American Heart Association)
• Return to top

Health Check Tools

• Can You Recognize a Heart Attack? Quiz(American Heart Association)
• Heart Attack Risk Assessment(American Heart Association)
• Risk Assessment Tool for Estimating Your 10-Year Risk of Having a Heart Attack(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• Return to top

Tutorials

• Coronary Angiography and Possible Angioplasty(Patient Education Institute)
• Also available in Spanish
• Heart Attack(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• Heart Attack(Patient Education Institute)
• Also available in Spanish
• Return to top

Videos

• Act in Time(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• If I Had - A Non-STEMI Heart Attack and Was Being Discharged from the Hospital(Insidermedicine)
• If I Had - Chest Discomfort(Insidermedicine)
• If I Had - Chest Pain(Insidermedicine)
• Know the Warning Signs(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• Maintain a Heart Healthy Lifestyle(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• Return to top

Anatomy/Physiology

• Heart Anatomy(Texas Heart Institute)
• Also available in Spanish
• How the Heart Works(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• Return to top

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Myocardial Infarction(National Institutes of Health)
• Return to top

Journal Articles

References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: The outcome of intra-aortic balloon pump support in acute myocardial...
• Article: JAMA patient page. Aspirin therapy.
• Article: Clinical outcomes and cost implications of routine early PCI after...
• Heart Attack -- see more articles
• Heart attack prevention -- see more articles
• Heart attack rehabilitation -- see more articles
• Return to top

Dictionaries/Glossaries

• Cardiovascular Glossary(Texas Heart Institute)
• Also available in Spanish
• Heart and Stroke Encyclopedia(American Heart Association)
• Return to top

Directories

• Find a Local CPR, First Aid or ECC (Emergency Cardiovascular Care) Class(American Heart Association)
• Return to top

Organizations

• American Heart Association
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
• Return to top

Statistics

• CDC Vital Signs: High Blood Pressure and Cholesterol(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics 2013 Update(American Heart Association)
• Return to top

MedlinePlus Magazine

• Heart Disease: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment
• Heart Health: Brave Heart
• Learn the Truth About Your Heart
• Return to top

Women

• Calcium Supplements: A Risk Factor for Heart Attack?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Heart Attack(Cardiovascular Research Foundation)
• Know the Symptoms(Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
• Also available in Spanish
• Panic Attack or Heart Attack?(Women's Heart Foundation)
• Also available in Spanish
• Return to top

Seniors

• Heart Attack(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• Return to top

Patient Handouts

• Being active after your heart attack
• Also available in Spanish
• Cardiac catheterization
• Also available in Spanish
• Cardiac catheterization - discharge
• Also available in Spanish
• Cardiogenic shock
• Also available in Spanish
• Coronary angiography
• Also available in Spanish
• Echocardiogram
• Also available in Spanish
• Electrocardiogram
• Also available in Spanish
• Heart attack
• Also available in Spanish
• Heart attack - discharge
• Also available in Spanish
• Heart disease and intimacy
• Also available in Spanish
• Learn What a Heart Attack Feels Like--It Could Save Your Life(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - PDF
• Talk With Your Health Care Provider About Taking Aspirin to Prevent Heart Attack(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) - PDF
• Thrombolytic drugs for heart attack
• Also available in Spanish
• Thrombolytic therapy
• Also available in Spanish