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What is a heart attack (CVD)?

The heart is composed of specialized muscle cells called myocytes, is a mechanical pump that propels blood through the circulatory system, thus ensuring the supply of oxygen and other elements essential to the vital organs of the body. To make this life-sustaining work, the heart itself needs a steady supply of oxygen that gets through the coronary arteries. Insufficient supply of blood and oxygen causes death and injury myoctye cell. This process is called a heart attack, or in terms of health of a myocardial infarction.

The death of myocytes has several important effects, including:

• Reduction of cardiac performance and pumping efficiency
• Reduction of blood and oxygen to vital organs: the brain, kidneys, intestines, liver.
• Increased irritability of the heart's electrical system
• Slowing the racing heart or beat erratic, each of which can be fatal.

In most cases, heart attack occurs when a blood clot, also called a thrombus or thrombosis of the process, develops suddenly in a coronary artery. The coronary arteries to contain an accumulation of plaque (deposits of fatty substances-like) due to a process called atherosclerosis. When plaque breaks or ruptures, it leads to either partial or total blockage of coronary artery flow and life-sustaining oxygen delivery to the heart muscle (myocardium). The blood vessel interpreter, or perhaps more precisely, a misinterpretation of breakage of the plate as a "violation of integrity" and a risk of serious bleeding.

Who is at risk of a heart attack?

The development of coronary atherosclerosis is a major risk and the most common heart attack. Although unique in their own name, atherosclerosis and thrombosis share a common origin and are linked by genetic and environmental factors. Thus, the risk factors for atherosclerosis are also known for a heart attack. Atherosclerosis typically begins in mid to late second and early third decades of life, with the accumulation of fat.

• Traditional risk factors
• Hypertension
• Smoking
• Diabetes mellitus
• Metabolic Syndrome
• In overweight
• Inactivity
• High cholesterol
• Genetics and family history of coronary disease

What can I do to reduce the risk of heart attack?

Specific recommendations to prevent heart attack are:

• Avoid exposure (active or passive) smoke tobacco.
• Maintain a healthy diet.
• Maintain blood pressure below 140/90 mmHg.
• Lowering cholesterol at an appropriate level depending on individual risk.
• Make at least 30 minutes of intense physical activity on most (preferably all days) of the week.
• Achieve and maintain an ideal weight and abdominal circumference.
• Maintain a normal fasting blood glucose (below 110 mg / dl).
• Warning signs of a heart attack, early intervention and community action

Pain is typically described as a heart attack a deep visceral feeling - a feeling of tightness or discomfort - located in the chest beneath the breastbone, often expressed as choking, constricting, heavy compression, pressure, such as a vise or burning.

Rapid Response

The American Heart Association and National Heart Lung and Blood Institute launched a new "timely action" campaign that emphasizes the importance of calling 9-1-1 immediately at the onset of symptoms heart attack. Get immediate medical attention improves the chances of surviving a heart attack as well as benefiting from a variety of drugs and treatments.