Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAbout Heart AttacksSurvival RatesSymptomsTreatmentPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
About Heart Attacks
Survival Rates
Symptoms
Treatment
Prevention
Studies have found that survival rates for people hospitalized for heart attacks are approximately 90%to 97%.This varies based on the type of heart attack, which arteries are involved, and additional factors such as age and gender.
Aheart attack, also called a myocardial infarction (MI), occurs when there is a blockage or severe reduction in blood flow to a portion of the heart. It is a life-threatening medical emergency and more damage to the heart can happen the longer the blockage goes without treatment.
Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin
A heart attack is the most severe form ofacute coronary syndrome (ACS). This is a term for a medical emergency involving the heart’s arteries.
Aheart attack is diagnosedwhen there is death of a portion of the heart muscle.
Cardiac Arrest vs. Heart Attack: Main Differences
Heart Attack Survival Rates
There are several factors that affect whether someone will survive a heart attack.
Type of Heart Attack
The two main types of heart attacks are:
Other types of heart attacks, which are less common than STEMI or NSTEMI, are:
The likelihood of survival depends on which arteries are affected. A blockage in the left anterior descending (LAD) artery, a branch of the left coronary artery, has the highest risk of death.
The LAD artery supplies a large part of the heart and a STEMI of the LAD artery is sometimes referred to as the “the widowmaker” because of the increased risk of complications and death.
A widowmaker heart attack is also associated with an increased risk of heart failure and stroke, but it is less common than a blockage to the right coronary artery (RCA).
One study found that the unadjusted death rate for STEMI of the LAD was 7.1%, compared to 5.4% for the other branch of the left coronary artery (left circumflex artery, LCx) and 4.8% for the right coronary artery.
Sex Differences
There can be a significant difference in heart attack outcomes between men (assigned male at birth) and women (assigned female at birth).
Women usually have heart attacks at an older age and are more likely than men to die within the first few weeks after a heart attack. Compared to men, women have smaller arteries and may experience different symptoms of heart diseasecompared to men, which can sometimes delay a diagnosis.
One in four women (23%) will die within one year after a heart attack and 47% of women will die within five years after a heart attack.
Research has found that among people hospitalized for a first-time heart attack, women had a higher death rate than men for both STEMI (9.4% vs. 4.5%) and NSTEMI (4.7% vs. 2.9%). However, the gap wasn’t as pronounced for NSTEMI when additional factors were taken into account.
The study also found that women who had a severe heart attack (STEMI) had a 20% increased risk of dying or developing heart failure within five years compared to men.
Symptoms and Warning Signs of Heart Attack in Women
Location of Blockage
A blockage near the origin of an artery will affect more of the heart muscle than a blockage farther down the artery.
Length of Time Until Treatment
If treatment is delivered within three or four hours, much of the permanent muscle damage can be avoided. But if treatment is delayed beyond five or six hours, the amount of heart muscle that can be saved drops off significantly. After about 12 hours, the damage is often irreversible.
A heart attack can also produce dangerous heart rhythm problems known asarrhythmias, includingtachycardia(rapid heartbeat) andfibrillation(irregular rapid heartbeat). After the heart attack, scarred cardiac tissue can lead to permanent electrical instability and recurrent arrhythmia.
Cardiac arrestandsudden deathare risks that are present both during an acute heart attack and to a lesser extent after the recovery.
Cardiac arrests can occur within the first few hours of a heart attack or during recovery. If a cardiac arrest occurs in the hospital, there is an excellent chance it can be treated. Unfortunately, the risk ofsudden cardiac arrestis heightened after a heart attack, especially within the first year.
Age
The average age for a first heart attack in the United States is 65.6 years for males and 72.0 years for females.However, heart attacks can happen to anyone. A 2019 study showed heart attacks occurring in young people have been increasing. The study concluded the proportion of heart attacks among younger adults increased from 27% to 32% from 1995–2014.
In terms of surviving a heart attack, a 2017 study found that people 65 years and older were three times more likely to die from a heart attack compared to younger patients (aged 18 to 64 years). The rate of dying within 30 days of a heart attack was 9.4% for older patients and 3.0% for younger patients.
Number of Heart Attacks
Cardiac rehab is a medically supervised program that encourages lifestyle changes to reduce your heart disease risk, such as exercise training, heart-healthy eating, maintaining a healthy weight, and quitting smoking.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 805,000 Americans have a heart attack each year. Of these, 605,000 are a first heart attack.
6 Pre-Heart Attack Warning Signs a Month Before
Heart Attack Symptoms
Getting rapid and appropriate medical care requires you torecognize the signs of a heart attackand seek medical help the moment you think you might be having one.
While chest pain, especially in the center or left side of the chest, is the classic symptom of a heart attack, other kinds of symptoms can occur in addition to (or instead of) chest discomfort.
Symptoms of a heart attackinclude:
Chest pain or discomfort is the most common symptom in both men and women. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain that lasts more than a few minutes or can go away and come back.
However, women are more likely than men to experience some of the other symptoms. The first symptoms in women may be shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, and back or jaw pain.
Anyone who has risk factors for coronary artery disease ought to be alert to these symptoms. Even so, there are times when the symptoms may be uncertain or less overt, and people will not act immediately because the signs aren’t “as severe” as they assume.
Silent Heart AttacksAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in fiveheart attacks is “silent"and will have few, if any, symptoms.Even if the underlying obstruction is less profound, the risk of death may be higher simply because treatment is delayed.Silent heart attacks may cause subtle symptoms such as:Unexplained fatigueShortness of breathDiscomfort in the throat, neck, jaw, or armChest pain that may be mistaken as heartburn
Silent Heart Attacks
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in fiveheart attacks is “silent"and will have few, if any, symptoms.Even if the underlying obstruction is less profound, the risk of death may be higher simply because treatment is delayed.Silent heart attacks may cause subtle symptoms such as:Unexplained fatigueShortness of breathDiscomfort in the throat, neck, jaw, or armChest pain that may be mistaken as heartburn
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in fiveheart attacks is “silent"and will have few, if any, symptoms.Even if the underlying obstruction is less profound, the risk of death may be higher simply because treatment is delayed.
Silent heart attacks may cause subtle symptoms such as:
Heart Attack Treatment
If you think there’s any chance you or someone else may be having a heart attack, you need to get medical help as quickly as possible. Even if it turns out to be something else, it is better to act quickly than risk putting your life on the line.
If you recognize the signs of a heart attack, call 9-1-1 immediately. The sooner treatment begins, the greater likelihood that you can minimize damage to the heart.Once a medical team is involved, medications and surgical procedures help restore blood flow to the heart.
If the person goes unconscious, you can startcardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)while you wait for emergency medical services (EMS). If you are in a public place, ask if there is anAED (automated external defibrillator)on site.An AED is a portable device that can check someone’s heart rhythm and, if necessary, deliver an electric shock to help someone who is in cardiac arrest.
Findtrainings in CPR and AED usethrough the American Red Cross, so you are prepared if you are ever in an emergency situation.
Heart Attack Prevention
There are lifestyle changes that you can make toreduce your risk of a heart attackand increase your odds of surviving one.
According to the CDC, 47% of Americans have at least one of the three main risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking.
Get your blood pressure and cholesterol checked regularly. If readings are high, you may be able to lower them with diet and physical activity, or your healthcare provider may recommend medications to help reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.
In addition, these lifestyle changes can help:
What Causes a Heart Attack?
22 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.McManus DD, Gore J, Yarzebski J, Spencer F, Lessard D, Goldberg RJ.Recent trends in the incidence, treatment, and outcomes of patients with STEMI and NSTEMI.Am J Med. 2011;124(1):40-47. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2010.07.023Cahill TJ, Kharbanda RK.Heart failure after myocardial infarction in the era of primary percutaneous coronary intervention: Mechanisms, incidence and identification of patients at risk.WJC. 2017;9(5):407. doi:10.4330/wjc.v9.i5.407Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart attack symptoms, risk, and recovery.American Heart Association.What is a heart attack?.Entezarjou A, Mohammad MA, Andell P, Koul S.Culprit vessel: impact on short-term and long-term prognosis in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction.Open Heart. 2018;5(2):e000852. doi:10.1136/openhrt-2018-000852Leifheit-Limson EC, D’Onofrio G, Daneshvar M, et al.Sex Differences in Cardiac Risk Factors, Perceived Risk, and Health Care Provider Discussion of Risk and Risk Modification Among Young Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction: The VIRGO Study.J Am Coll Cardiol. 2015;66(18):1949-1957. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2015.08.859Virani SS, Alonso A, Benjamin EJ, et al.Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics-2020 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association.Circulation. 2020;141(9):e139-e596. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000757Ezekowitz JA, Savu A, Welsh RC, McAlister FA, Goodman SG, Kaul P.Is there a sex gap in surviving an acute coronary syndrome or subsequent development of heart failure?.Circulation. 2020;142(23):2231-2239. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.048015Nepper-Christensen L, Lønborg J, Høfsten DE, et al.Benefit from reperfusion with primary percutaneous coronary intervention beyond 12 hours of symptom duration in patients with ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction.Circ Cardiovasc Interv. 2018;11(9). doi:10.1161/CIRCINTERVENTIONS.118.006842Hayashi M, Shimizu W, Albert CM.The spectrum of epidemiology underlying sudden cardiac death.Circ Res. 2015;116(12):1887-1906. doi:10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.116.304521American Heart Association.2022 heart disease and stroke statistics update fact sheet.Arora S, Stouffer GA, Kucharska-Newton AM, et al.Twenty Year Trends and Sex Differences in Young Adults Hospitalized With Acute Myocardial Infarction.Circulation. 2019;139(8):1047-1056. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.118.037137Dharmarajan K, McNamara RL, Wang Y, et al.Age differences in hospital mortality for acute myocardial infarction: implications for hospital profiling. Ann Intern Med. 2017;167(8):555.doi:10.7326/M16-2871American Heart Association.Life after a heart attack.American Heart Association.Proactive steps can reduce chances of a second heart attack.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart disease facts.American Heart Association.Warning signs of a heart attack.Cleveland Clinic.Beware the silent heart attack: What to watch for.Gulati M, Levy PD, Mukherjee D, et al.2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines.Circulation. 2021;144(22). doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001029American Heart Association.Treatment of a heart attack.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Know your risk for heart disease.American Heart Association.Lifestyle changes for heart attack prevention.
22 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.McManus DD, Gore J, Yarzebski J, Spencer F, Lessard D, Goldberg RJ.Recent trends in the incidence, treatment, and outcomes of patients with STEMI and NSTEMI.Am J Med. 2011;124(1):40-47. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2010.07.023Cahill TJ, Kharbanda RK.Heart failure after myocardial infarction in the era of primary percutaneous coronary intervention: Mechanisms, incidence and identification of patients at risk.WJC. 2017;9(5):407. doi:10.4330/wjc.v9.i5.407Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart attack symptoms, risk, and recovery.American Heart Association.What is a heart attack?.Entezarjou A, Mohammad MA, Andell P, Koul S.Culprit vessel: impact on short-term and long-term prognosis in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction.Open Heart. 2018;5(2):e000852. doi:10.1136/openhrt-2018-000852Leifheit-Limson EC, D’Onofrio G, Daneshvar M, et al.Sex Differences in Cardiac Risk Factors, Perceived Risk, and Health Care Provider Discussion of Risk and Risk Modification Among Young Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction: The VIRGO Study.J Am Coll Cardiol. 2015;66(18):1949-1957. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2015.08.859Virani SS, Alonso A, Benjamin EJ, et al.Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics-2020 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association.Circulation. 2020;141(9):e139-e596. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000757Ezekowitz JA, Savu A, Welsh RC, McAlister FA, Goodman SG, Kaul P.Is there a sex gap in surviving an acute coronary syndrome or subsequent development of heart failure?.Circulation. 2020;142(23):2231-2239. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.048015Nepper-Christensen L, Lønborg J, Høfsten DE, et al.Benefit from reperfusion with primary percutaneous coronary intervention beyond 12 hours of symptom duration in patients with ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction.Circ Cardiovasc Interv. 2018;11(9). doi:10.1161/CIRCINTERVENTIONS.118.006842Hayashi M, Shimizu W, Albert CM.The spectrum of epidemiology underlying sudden cardiac death.Circ Res. 2015;116(12):1887-1906. doi:10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.116.304521American Heart Association.2022 heart disease and stroke statistics update fact sheet.Arora S, Stouffer GA, Kucharska-Newton AM, et al.Twenty Year Trends and Sex Differences in Young Adults Hospitalized With Acute Myocardial Infarction.Circulation. 2019;139(8):1047-1056. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.118.037137Dharmarajan K, McNamara RL, Wang Y, et al.Age differences in hospital mortality for acute myocardial infarction: implications for hospital profiling. Ann Intern Med. 2017;167(8):555.doi:10.7326/M16-2871American Heart Association.Life after a heart attack.American Heart Association.Proactive steps can reduce chances of a second heart attack.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart disease facts.American Heart Association.Warning signs of a heart attack.Cleveland Clinic.Beware the silent heart attack: What to watch for.Gulati M, Levy PD, Mukherjee D, et al.2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines.Circulation. 2021;144(22). doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001029American Heart Association.Treatment of a heart attack.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Know your risk for heart disease.American Heart Association.Lifestyle changes for heart attack prevention.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
McManus DD, Gore J, Yarzebski J, Spencer F, Lessard D, Goldberg RJ.Recent trends in the incidence, treatment, and outcomes of patients with STEMI and NSTEMI.Am J Med. 2011;124(1):40-47. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2010.07.023Cahill TJ, Kharbanda RK.Heart failure after myocardial infarction in the era of primary percutaneous coronary intervention: Mechanisms, incidence and identification of patients at risk.WJC. 2017;9(5):407. doi:10.4330/wjc.v9.i5.407Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart attack symptoms, risk, and recovery.American Heart Association.What is a heart attack?.Entezarjou A, Mohammad MA, Andell P, Koul S.Culprit vessel: impact on short-term and long-term prognosis in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction.Open Heart. 2018;5(2):e000852. doi:10.1136/openhrt-2018-000852Leifheit-Limson EC, D’Onofrio G, Daneshvar M, et al.Sex Differences in Cardiac Risk Factors, Perceived Risk, and Health Care Provider Discussion of Risk and Risk Modification Among Young Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction: The VIRGO Study.J Am Coll Cardiol. 2015;66(18):1949-1957. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2015.08.859Virani SS, Alonso A, Benjamin EJ, et al.Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics-2020 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association.Circulation. 2020;141(9):e139-e596. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000757Ezekowitz JA, Savu A, Welsh RC, McAlister FA, Goodman SG, Kaul P.Is there a sex gap in surviving an acute coronary syndrome or subsequent development of heart failure?.Circulation. 2020;142(23):2231-2239. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.048015Nepper-Christensen L, Lønborg J, Høfsten DE, et al.Benefit from reperfusion with primary percutaneous coronary intervention beyond 12 hours of symptom duration in patients with ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction.Circ Cardiovasc Interv. 2018;11(9). doi:10.1161/CIRCINTERVENTIONS.118.006842Hayashi M, Shimizu W, Albert CM.The spectrum of epidemiology underlying sudden cardiac death.Circ Res. 2015;116(12):1887-1906. doi:10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.116.304521American Heart Association.2022 heart disease and stroke statistics update fact sheet.Arora S, Stouffer GA, Kucharska-Newton AM, et al.Twenty Year Trends and Sex Differences in Young Adults Hospitalized With Acute Myocardial Infarction.Circulation. 2019;139(8):1047-1056. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.118.037137Dharmarajan K, McNamara RL, Wang Y, et al.Age differences in hospital mortality for acute myocardial infarction: implications for hospital profiling. Ann Intern Med. 2017;167(8):555.doi:10.7326/M16-2871American Heart Association.Life after a heart attack.American Heart Association.Proactive steps can reduce chances of a second heart attack.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart disease facts.American Heart Association.Warning signs of a heart attack.Cleveland Clinic.Beware the silent heart attack: What to watch for.Gulati M, Levy PD, Mukherjee D, et al.2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines.Circulation. 2021;144(22). doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001029American Heart Association.Treatment of a heart attack.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Know your risk for heart disease.American Heart Association.Lifestyle changes for heart attack prevention.
McManus DD, Gore J, Yarzebski J, Spencer F, Lessard D, Goldberg RJ.Recent trends in the incidence, treatment, and outcomes of patients with STEMI and NSTEMI.Am J Med. 2011;124(1):40-47. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2010.07.023
Cahill TJ, Kharbanda RK.Heart failure after myocardial infarction in the era of primary percutaneous coronary intervention: Mechanisms, incidence and identification of patients at risk.WJC. 2017;9(5):407. doi:10.4330/wjc.v9.i5.407
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart attack symptoms, risk, and recovery.
American Heart Association.What is a heart attack?.
Entezarjou A, Mohammad MA, Andell P, Koul S.Culprit vessel: impact on short-term and long-term prognosis in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction.Open Heart. 2018;5(2):e000852. doi:10.1136/openhrt-2018-000852
Leifheit-Limson EC, D’Onofrio G, Daneshvar M, et al.Sex Differences in Cardiac Risk Factors, Perceived Risk, and Health Care Provider Discussion of Risk and Risk Modification Among Young Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction: The VIRGO Study.J Am Coll Cardiol. 2015;66(18):1949-1957. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2015.08.859
Virani SS, Alonso A, Benjamin EJ, et al.Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics-2020 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association.Circulation. 2020;141(9):e139-e596. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000757
Ezekowitz JA, Savu A, Welsh RC, McAlister FA, Goodman SG, Kaul P.Is there a sex gap in surviving an acute coronary syndrome or subsequent development of heart failure?.Circulation. 2020;142(23):2231-2239. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.048015
Nepper-Christensen L, Lønborg J, Høfsten DE, et al.Benefit from reperfusion with primary percutaneous coronary intervention beyond 12 hours of symptom duration in patients with ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction.Circ Cardiovasc Interv. 2018;11(9). doi:10.1161/CIRCINTERVENTIONS.118.006842
Hayashi M, Shimizu W, Albert CM.The spectrum of epidemiology underlying sudden cardiac death.Circ Res. 2015;116(12):1887-1906. doi:10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.116.304521
American Heart Association.2022 heart disease and stroke statistics update fact sheet.
Arora S, Stouffer GA, Kucharska-Newton AM, et al.Twenty Year Trends and Sex Differences in Young Adults Hospitalized With Acute Myocardial Infarction.Circulation. 2019;139(8):1047-1056. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.118.037137
Dharmarajan K, McNamara RL, Wang Y, et al.Age differences in hospital mortality for acute myocardial infarction: implications for hospital profiling. Ann Intern Med. 2017;167(8):555.doi:10.7326/M16-2871
American Heart Association.Life after a heart attack.
American Heart Association.Proactive steps can reduce chances of a second heart attack.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart disease facts.
American Heart Association.Warning signs of a heart attack.
Cleveland Clinic.Beware the silent heart attack: What to watch for.
Gulati M, Levy PD, Mukherjee D, et al.2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines.Circulation. 2021;144(22). doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001029
American Heart Association.Treatment of a heart attack.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Know your risk for heart disease.
American Heart Association.Lifestyle changes for heart attack prevention.
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