Heart Attack Care

What is a Heart Attack?

A heart attack (also called an acute myocardial infarction or AMI) happens when the arteries leading to the heart become blocked and the blood supply is slowed or stopped. When the heart muscle can't get the oxygen and nutrients it needs, the part of the heart tissue that is affected may die. Each year more than one million people suffer from a heart attack or AMI and almost one-fifth die from the disease. If people get the correct care after a heart attack, they will recover more fully and be less likely to have another one.*