"Saving Lives: Your Guide to Myocardial Infarction Awareness"
- Myocardial infarction, or heart attack, occurs when blood flow to the heart is blocked, often by plaque build-up. - Common symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, and nausea, but they can vary, especially in women and the elderly. - Risk factors include smoking, high blood pressure, and family history, among others. - The evidence leans toward immediate treatment with aspirin and procedures like angioplasty to restore blood flow. *Definition - Myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack, happens when the blood supply to part of the heart is severely reduced or blocked, usually due to plaque (cholesterol-containing deposits) in the coronary arteries. This blockage can lead to heart muscle damage or death if not treated promptly. *Symptoms - Symptoms often include chest pain or discomfort, which may feel like pressure, tightness, or squeezing, and can radiate to the shoulder, arm, back, neck, jaw, or upper belly. Other signs include ...