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Heart Attack: MedlinePlus
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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)
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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)
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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
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Disease Management
Heart Attack: Tips for Recovering and Staying Well(American Academy of Family Physicians)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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
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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)
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Anatomy/Physiology
Heart Anatomy(Texas Heart Institute)
Also available in Spanish
How the Heart Works(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
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Clinical Trials
ClinicalTrials.gov: Myocardial Infarction(National Institutes of Health)
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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
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Dictionaries/Glossaries
Cardiovascular Glossary(Texas Heart Institute)
Also available in Spanish
Heart and Stroke Encyclopedia(American Heart Association)
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Directories
Find a Local CPR, First Aid or ECC (Emergency Cardiovascular Care) Class(American Heart Association)
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Organizations
American Heart Association
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
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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)
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MedlinePlus Magazine
Heart Disease: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment
Heart Health: Brave Heart
Learn the Truth About Your Heart
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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
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Seniors
Heart Attack(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
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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