Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat HappensBlockage LocationLikelihood of SurvivalStart of SymptomsVariations in SymptomsEffects During Heart AttackEmergency TreatmentPost-OpBeing a SurvivorLowering Risk
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Happens
Blockage Location
Likelihood of Survival
Start of Symptoms
Variations in Symptoms
Effects During Heart Attack
Emergency Treatment
Post-Op
Being a Survivor
Lowering Risk
A widowmaker heart attack is a type of heart failure in which the heart’s biggest artery, the left anterior descending (LAD) artery, is completely blocked. The LAD supplies a significant portion of the heart muscle with oxygen-rich blood. Due to the location and extent of the blockage, a widowmaker heart attack can be particularly dangerous and fatal.
The symptoms and treatment of a widowmaker heart attack are similar to those of other heart attacks, although the potential for serious consequences, including death, are more remarkable due to the critical area of the heart muscle affected.
Widowmaker Heart Attack at a Glance
Theheartis an organ about the size of an adult fist that pumps blood throughout the body, delivering oxygen and nutrients to all cells.
Coronary ArteriesThe coronary arteries include theright coronary artery(RCA) and theleft coronary artery, which divides into thecircumflex arteryand theleft anterior descending artery (LAD).
Coronary Arteries
The coronary arteries include theright coronary artery(RCA) and theleft coronary artery, which divides into thecircumflex arteryand theleft anterior descending artery (LAD).
Blood clots in the coronary arteries, including the LAD, usually develop due toatherosclerosis, a disease in which arteries harden and stiffen due to the slow accumulation of cholesterol and fatty clumps (plaque).
A heart attack, also called amyocardial infarctionor MI, is classified as either of the following:
A widowmaker heart attack is a type of STEMI because the LAD is entirely clogged.
Location of Artery Blockage
The left anterior descending artery is usually the largest coronary artery, feeding over half of the heart with blood.
The LAD runs on the left side of the heart before traveling down its front surface. It gives rise to branches that supply the septum (the wall between the left and right pumping chambers) and the front/side of the heart. In over half of people, the LAD also wraps around the bottom of the heart.
As such, a complete blockage at the beginning of the LAD—informally termed the widowmaker and formally termed aproximal LADinfarct—affects the blood supply to the front, side, middle, and bottom of the heart.
Specifically, a widowmaker heart attack affects blood flow to a major portion of the left ventricle, the most muscular and powerful of theheart’s four chambers. The left ventricle pumps oxygen-rich blood to theaorta(the body’s main artery), which delivers it to vital organs.
Research suggests that the 30-day mortality (death) rate of people with a STEMI (a heart attack in which blood flow through a coronary artery is completely blocked) is between 2.5% and 10%.
A widowmaker heart attack is a type of STEMI but may result in an even higher death rate since it involves the heart’s biggest coronary artery.
How Many People Survive a Heart Attack?
People of any sex can experience a widowmaker heart attack, and the symptoms are typical of those seen with any heart attack.
The most common first symptom of a heart attack is left-sided or centralchest painthat may travel or “radiate” to the neck or jaw.
The sensation is often reported as crushing, pressure-like, tight, squeezing, dull, or heavy. It may be felt primarily in the arm or jaw in addition to or instead of the chest.
Chest pain or discomfort from a heart attack can be sudden and intense, lasting more than a few minutes, or come and go. It can also be felt in other body areas, such as the stomach, back, shoulders, or arms.
Other possible early symptoms and signs of a heart attack include:
Seek Emergency Medical AttentionCall 911 immediately for emergency transport to a hospital if you are experiencing symptoms or a heart attack, even if it’s simply a gut instinct that something is wrong.Do not drive yourself or have someone drive you. Every minute is critical when it comes to treating a heart attack for your survival and to minimize damage to the heart.
Seek Emergency Medical Attention
Call 911 immediately for emergency transport to a hospital if you are experiencing symptoms or a heart attack, even if it’s simply a gut instinct that something is wrong.Do not drive yourself or have someone drive you. Every minute is critical when it comes to treating a heart attack for your survival and to minimize damage to the heart.
Call 911 immediately for emergency transport to a hospital if you are experiencing symptoms or a heart attack, even if it’s simply a gut instinct that something is wrong.
Do not drive yourself or have someone drive you. Every minute is critical when it comes to treating a heart attack for your survival and to minimize damage to the heart.
Thesymptoms and signs of a heart attack, namely chest pain intensity, are similar regardless of sex. However, the localization of the pain and the action to seek medical attention tend to vary.
For example, research suggests that females are more likely to experience pain in the back, shoulders, or stomach.Compared to men,women may also report symptomslike vomiting, fatigue, arm pain, andpalpitations.
Moreover, females with chest discomfort related to a heart attack tend to wait longer on average before seeking medical attention.It’s unclear why this is the case.
Some experts suspect that women may attribute their chest discomfort to less dangerous conditions or conditions that do not require urgent treatment, like the flu or acid reflux.
Lastly, symptoms of a heart attack, including a widowmaker heart attack,can also be silent, meaning there are virtually no symptoms, or the symptoms are subtle.
Older adults and individuals with diabetes are more vulnerable to experiencing silent heart attacks.
A Note on Gender and Sex TerminologyVerywell Health acknowledges thatsex and genderare related concepts, but they are not the same. To accurately reflect our sources, this article uses terms like “female,” “male,” “woman,” and “man” as the sources use them.
A Note on Gender and Sex Terminology
Verywell Health acknowledges thatsex and genderare related concepts, but they are not the same. To accurately reflect our sources, this article uses terms like “female,” “male,” “woman,” and “man” as the sources use them.
During a heart attack, blood flow to a portion of the heart muscle is reduced or blocked. As a result, the heart stops receiving the oxygen it needs to pump and function. If blood flow is not rapidly restored, the affected part of the heart muscle will quickly begin to die.
A widowmaker heart attack is like any other heart attack; however, it affects a crucial portion of the heart, making it more dangerous and potentially fatal.
Problems that may arise as a result of a heart attack, such as a widowmaker heart attack, include:
Treatment for a heart attack must begin immediately to unblock the artery, restore blood flow, and prevent heart muscle damage or death.
Heart attack medications include:
What Happens During a PCI?PCIs are performed in a hospitalcardiac catheterizationlaboratory. They involve inserting a thin, flexible tube (catheter) into a blood vessel in the wrist or groin and guiding it to the affected coronary artery.Once in the affected coronary artery, a tiny deflated balloon on the catheter’s tip is opened, pushing the arterial plaque against the artery’s wall. The balloon is then deflated, and astent(tube) is often placed to keep the artery open so blood can flow easily.
What Happens During a PCI?
PCIs are performed in a hospitalcardiac catheterizationlaboratory. They involve inserting a thin, flexible tube (catheter) into a blood vessel in the wrist or groin and guiding it to the affected coronary artery.Once in the affected coronary artery, a tiny deflated balloon on the catheter’s tip is opened, pushing the arterial plaque against the artery’s wall. The balloon is then deflated, and astent(tube) is often placed to keep the artery open so blood can flow easily.
PCIs are performed in a hospitalcardiac catheterizationlaboratory. They involve inserting a thin, flexible tube (catheter) into a blood vessel in the wrist or groin and guiding it to the affected coronary artery.
Once in the affected coronary artery, a tiny deflated balloon on the catheter’s tip is opened, pushing the arterial plaque against the artery’s wall. The balloon is then deflated, and astent(tube) is often placed to keep the artery open so blood can flow easily.
Thrombolytic therapy(“clot-busting drug”) may be given in the following scenarios:
In addition to aspirin,antiplatelet agentsandanticoagulants(blood thinners) are administered toslow and prevent further blood clotting.
Anticoagulant vs. Antiplatelet: What’s the Difference?
Stents vs. Bypass Surgery for Treating Coronary Artery Disease
Post-Op Instructions and Monitoring
According to the American Heart Association, most people with a first heart attack go on to live a full and productive life. That said, over 25% are readmitted to the hospital within three months of discharge.
To prevent a second heart attack, it’s vital to follow your healthcare team’s post-op instructions. These often include:
Being a Widowmaker Heart Attack Survivor
Surviving any heart attack, including a widowmaker heart attack, is a significant feat and a wake-up call to make lifestyle changes that will help prevent a second heart attack.
In addition to adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle, garnering support from loved ones is essential to the healing process and ensuring a fulfilling and meaningful life.
How to Lower Risk With Risk Factors and Comorbidities
Practicing heart-healthy lifestyle habits can help prevent future heart attacks or other diseasesrelated to atherosclerosis, such asperipheral artery disease,stroke, andaortic aneurysms.
These habits include:
Also, it’s important to follow your provider’s instructions on managing conditions linked to heart disease, such asdiabetes,high blood pressure, orhigh cholesterol.
Summary
“Widowmaker” is an informal term describing a type of heart attack that is particularly dangerous and potentially fatal, as it involves 100% blockage of the left anterior coronary artery (LAD). The LAD supplies around half of the heart’s blood supply. A critical portion of the heart muscle can die and stop beating when it’s clogged.
The symptoms of a widowmaker heart attack are the same as any other heart attack, including crushing, tight, or squeezing chest discomfort, trouble breathing, light-headedness, sweating, and nausea. Sometimes, the pain is felt in the neck, jaw, shoulders, upper stomach, or back, and sometimes symptoms are absent or subtle.
The aim of treatment for a heart attack, including a widowmaker heart attack, is to immediately unblock the affected artery (or arteries, in some cases) and restore blood flow to the heart.
Time is of the essence when it comes to treating a heart attack, which is accomplished through medications and strategies to open up the clogged artery, such as taking a “clot-busting” drug or stenting (a tube is placed inside the affected artery to keep it open).
Recovery from a heart attack requires taking medications to keep your heart healthy, following closely with your healthcare team, engaging in healthy lifestyle habits, and participating in cardiac rehabilitation.
17 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.Wu JC.Essential echocardiography, 18 – acute myocardial infarction, Elsevier, 2019, Pages195-199Ilia R, Weinstein JM, Wolak A, Gilutz H, Cafri C.Length of left anterior descending coronary artery determines prognosis in acute anterior wall myocardial infarction.Catheter Cardiovasc Interv. 2014;84(2):316-20. doi:10.1002/ccd.24979Wilson PWF, Alpert JS, Simons M, Breall JA, Douglas PS.Prognosis after myocardial infarction. In:UpToDate, Gersh BJ, Pellikka PA, Kaski JC, Cannon CP, Jaffe AS (Eds), UpToDate, Waltham, MAHemal K, Pagidipati NJ, Coles A, et al.Sex differences in demographics, risk factors, presentation, and noninvasive testing in stable outpatients with suspected coronary artery disease: insights from the PROMISE trial.JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. 2016;9(4):337-46. doi:10.1016/j.jcmg.2016.02.001DeVon HA, Mirzaei S, Zègre-Hemsey J.Typical and atypical symptoms of acute coronary syndrome: time to retire the terms?J Am Heart Assoc. 2020;9(7):e015539. doi:10.1161/JAHA.119.015539American Heart Association.Warning signs of a heart attack.Meyer MR, Bernheim AM, Kurz DJ, et al.Gender differences in patient and system delay for primary percutaneous coronary intervention: current trends in a Swiss ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction population.Eur Heart J Acute Cardiovasc Care. 2019;8(3):283-290. doi:10.1177/2048872618810410Cardeillac M, Lefebvre F, Baicry F, et al.Symptoms of infarction in women: Is there a real difference compared to men? A systematic review of the literature with meta-analysis.J Clin Med. 2022;11(5):1319. doi:10.3390/jcm11051319American Heart Association.Heart attack symptoms in women.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Heart attack: symptoms.Damluji AA, van Diepen S, Katz JN, et al.Mechanical complications of acute myocardial infarction: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association.Circulation. 2021;144(2):e16-e35. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000985National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Heart attack: treatment.Reeder GS, Kennedy HL.Overview of the acute management of ST-elevation myocardial infarction. In:UpToDate, Cannon CP (Eds), UpToDate, Waltham, MALawton JS, Tamis-Holland JE, Bangalore S, et al.2021 ACC/AHA/SCAI guideline for coronary artery revascularization: executive summary: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines.Circulation. 2022;145(3):e4-e17. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001039American Heart Association.Life after a heart attack.American Heart Association.Atherosclerosis.American Heart Association.Understanding your risks to prevent a heart attack.
17 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.Wu JC.Essential echocardiography, 18 – acute myocardial infarction, Elsevier, 2019, Pages195-199Ilia R, Weinstein JM, Wolak A, Gilutz H, Cafri C.Length of left anterior descending coronary artery determines prognosis in acute anterior wall myocardial infarction.Catheter Cardiovasc Interv. 2014;84(2):316-20. doi:10.1002/ccd.24979Wilson PWF, Alpert JS, Simons M, Breall JA, Douglas PS.Prognosis after myocardial infarction. In:UpToDate, Gersh BJ, Pellikka PA, Kaski JC, Cannon CP, Jaffe AS (Eds), UpToDate, Waltham, MAHemal K, Pagidipati NJ, Coles A, et al.Sex differences in demographics, risk factors, presentation, and noninvasive testing in stable outpatients with suspected coronary artery disease: insights from the PROMISE trial.JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. 2016;9(4):337-46. doi:10.1016/j.jcmg.2016.02.001DeVon HA, Mirzaei S, Zègre-Hemsey J.Typical and atypical symptoms of acute coronary syndrome: time to retire the terms?J Am Heart Assoc. 2020;9(7):e015539. doi:10.1161/JAHA.119.015539American Heart Association.Warning signs of a heart attack.Meyer MR, Bernheim AM, Kurz DJ, et al.Gender differences in patient and system delay for primary percutaneous coronary intervention: current trends in a Swiss ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction population.Eur Heart J Acute Cardiovasc Care. 2019;8(3):283-290. doi:10.1177/2048872618810410Cardeillac M, Lefebvre F, Baicry F, et al.Symptoms of infarction in women: Is there a real difference compared to men? A systematic review of the literature with meta-analysis.J Clin Med. 2022;11(5):1319. doi:10.3390/jcm11051319American Heart Association.Heart attack symptoms in women.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Heart attack: symptoms.Damluji AA, van Diepen S, Katz JN, et al.Mechanical complications of acute myocardial infarction: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association.Circulation. 2021;144(2):e16-e35. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000985National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Heart attack: treatment.Reeder GS, Kennedy HL.Overview of the acute management of ST-elevation myocardial infarction. In:UpToDate, Cannon CP (Eds), UpToDate, Waltham, MALawton JS, Tamis-Holland JE, Bangalore S, et al.2021 ACC/AHA/SCAI guideline for coronary artery revascularization: executive summary: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines.Circulation. 2022;145(3):e4-e17. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001039American Heart Association.Life after a heart attack.American Heart Association.Atherosclerosis.American Heart Association.Understanding your risks to prevent a heart attack.
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.
Wu JC.Essential echocardiography, 18 – acute myocardial infarction, Elsevier, 2019, Pages195-199Ilia R, Weinstein JM, Wolak A, Gilutz H, Cafri C.Length of left anterior descending coronary artery determines prognosis in acute anterior wall myocardial infarction.Catheter Cardiovasc Interv. 2014;84(2):316-20. doi:10.1002/ccd.24979Wilson PWF, Alpert JS, Simons M, Breall JA, Douglas PS.Prognosis after myocardial infarction. In:UpToDate, Gersh BJ, Pellikka PA, Kaski JC, Cannon CP, Jaffe AS (Eds), UpToDate, Waltham, MAHemal K, Pagidipati NJ, Coles A, et al.Sex differences in demographics, risk factors, presentation, and noninvasive testing in stable outpatients with suspected coronary artery disease: insights from the PROMISE trial.JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. 2016;9(4):337-46. doi:10.1016/j.jcmg.2016.02.001DeVon HA, Mirzaei S, Zègre-Hemsey J.Typical and atypical symptoms of acute coronary syndrome: time to retire the terms?J Am Heart Assoc. 2020;9(7):e015539. doi:10.1161/JAHA.119.015539American Heart Association.Warning signs of a heart attack.Meyer MR, Bernheim AM, Kurz DJ, et al.Gender differences in patient and system delay for primary percutaneous coronary intervention: current trends in a Swiss ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction population.Eur Heart J Acute Cardiovasc Care. 2019;8(3):283-290. doi:10.1177/2048872618810410Cardeillac M, Lefebvre F, Baicry F, et al.Symptoms of infarction in women: Is there a real difference compared to men? A systematic review of the literature with meta-analysis.J Clin Med. 2022;11(5):1319. doi:10.3390/jcm11051319American Heart Association.Heart attack symptoms in women.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Heart attack: symptoms.Damluji AA, van Diepen S, Katz JN, et al.Mechanical complications of acute myocardial infarction: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association.Circulation. 2021;144(2):e16-e35. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000985National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Heart attack: treatment.Reeder GS, Kennedy HL.Overview of the acute management of ST-elevation myocardial infarction. In:UpToDate, Cannon CP (Eds), UpToDate, Waltham, MALawton JS, Tamis-Holland JE, Bangalore S, et al.2021 ACC/AHA/SCAI guideline for coronary artery revascularization: executive summary: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines.Circulation. 2022;145(3):e4-e17. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001039American Heart Association.Life after a heart attack.American Heart Association.Atherosclerosis.American Heart Association.Understanding your risks to prevent a heart attack.
Wu JC.Essential echocardiography, 18 – acute myocardial infarction, Elsevier, 2019, Pages195-199
Ilia R, Weinstein JM, Wolak A, Gilutz H, Cafri C.Length of left anterior descending coronary artery determines prognosis in acute anterior wall myocardial infarction.Catheter Cardiovasc Interv. 2014;84(2):316-20. doi:10.1002/ccd.24979
Wilson PWF, Alpert JS, Simons M, Breall JA, Douglas PS.Prognosis after myocardial infarction. In:UpToDate, Gersh BJ, Pellikka PA, Kaski JC, Cannon CP, Jaffe AS (Eds), UpToDate, Waltham, MA
Hemal K, Pagidipati NJ, Coles A, et al.Sex differences in demographics, risk factors, presentation, and noninvasive testing in stable outpatients with suspected coronary artery disease: insights from the PROMISE trial.JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. 2016;9(4):337-46. doi:10.1016/j.jcmg.2016.02.001
DeVon HA, Mirzaei S, Zègre-Hemsey J.Typical and atypical symptoms of acute coronary syndrome: time to retire the terms?J Am Heart Assoc. 2020;9(7):e015539. doi:10.1161/JAHA.119.015539
American Heart Association.Warning signs of a heart attack.
Meyer MR, Bernheim AM, Kurz DJ, et al.Gender differences in patient and system delay for primary percutaneous coronary intervention: current trends in a Swiss ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction population.Eur Heart J Acute Cardiovasc Care. 2019;8(3):283-290. doi:10.1177/2048872618810410
Cardeillac M, Lefebvre F, Baicry F, et al.Symptoms of infarction in women: Is there a real difference compared to men? A systematic review of the literature with meta-analysis.J Clin Med. 2022;11(5):1319. doi:10.3390/jcm11051319
American Heart Association.Heart attack symptoms in women.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Heart attack: symptoms.
Damluji AA, van Diepen S, Katz JN, et al.Mechanical complications of acute myocardial infarction: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association.Circulation. 2021;144(2):e16-e35. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000985
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Heart attack: treatment.
Reeder GS, Kennedy HL.Overview of the acute management of ST-elevation myocardial infarction. In:UpToDate, Cannon CP (Eds), UpToDate, Waltham, MA
Lawton JS, Tamis-Holland JE, Bangalore S, et al.2021 ACC/AHA/SCAI guideline for coronary artery revascularization: executive summary: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines.Circulation. 2022;145(3):e4-e17. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001039
American Heart Association.Life after a heart attack.
American Heart Association.Atherosclerosis.
American Heart Association.Understanding your risks to prevent a heart attack.
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