A heart attack consists of the obstruction of an artery of the heart by a thrombus or clot, which impedes the blood flow to the heart causing the death of the territories of the heart to which the blood does not reach.
What are the warning signs?
The most common symptom is a feeling of chest tightness (a feeling of heaviness in the chest), which is often accompanied by cold sweats, nausea or vomiting. Occasionally, chest pain may radiate to the left arm or neck.
What causes it?
Traditional risk factors (arterial hypertension, smoking, diabetes and hypercholesterolemia) are the causes of thrombus formation inside the coronary arteries that produce the infarction.
What treatments are performed?
In the event of an acute infarction, the most important thing is to open the artery as soon as possible so that blood can reach the heart again. To do this, the cardiology specialist usually performs an urgent catheterization to unblock the artery responsible for the infarction.
What are the consequences of a heart attack?
The consequences can be very serious, ranging from the death of the patient, to serious consequences after the infarction, such as heart failure due to the damage caused by the infarction to the heart.
Can a heart attack result in death?
The mortality of acute myocardial infarction reaches up to 15% of patients in some series.