Myocardial Infarction According to the Centers for Research Paper

Myocardial Infarction

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2006), each year approximately 1.2 million Americans suffer from myocardial infarction (heart attack) each year. 40% of these people who a have heart attack will die from it. This equates to a person having a heart attack every 34 seconds, and a person dying from a heart attack every minute. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, causing over 26% of the deaths in 2006 (CDC, 2010). Additionally, heart disease is the leading cause of death for both women and men, and for most racial/ethnic groups, including African-American, Native Americans, Hispanics, and whites. For Asian-Americans, heart disease was the second leading cause of death after cancer (CDC, 2010). The CDC also estimates that in 2010, heart disease cost the United States $316.4 billion in health care services, medications, and lost productivity.

Myocardial Infarction (heart attack) occurs when the blood supply to the heart is cut off. This happens as a result of blockage (usually from a blood clot) in one or more of the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart. These arteries become thicker and harder from a buildup of fat, cholesterol and other substances, called plaque. If this plaque breaks open it may form a clot in the artery and block blood flow to the heart. This causes the heart attack. Cells in the heart muscle that the artery supplies do not receive enough oxygen and begin to die. The longer the artery is blocked, the greater the damage to the heart (American Heart Association, 2007; CDC, 2006). Signs of a heart attack include chest discomfort that feels like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain; discomfort in other areas of the upper body such as the arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach; shortness of breath; or other symptoms such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or light-headedness. In order to diagnose a heart attack, a doctor will review the patient's medical history, give a physical examination, use an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) to discover any abnormalities caused by damage to the heart, and sometimes use a blood test to detect abnormal levels of certain enzymes in the bloodstream.

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