Life After A Heart Attack

A heart attack most often occurs when one of the three major blood vessels feeding the heart becomes blocked, cutting off the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle. Without oxygen, that part of the heart eventually dies. If the rest of the heart is still healthy, it will continue pumping, giving the injured muscle time to heal and regain some of its strength. However, once heart muscle has died, the heart becomes weakened, heart valves may be damaged, and the person may develop an irregular heartbeat. If damage to the heart is severe, a heart attack can be fatal. Heart attack is the number one killer of adults in the World. It strikes 4,100 people every day, causing 600,000 deaths each year. The warning signs can be subtle and sometimes difficult to identify. In fact, many people don't recognize the symptoms, even when they are in the middle of a major heart attack. This is critical, because the amount of time that passes from when a heart attack begins to when you receiv...