Heart Attack

The Facts
More than 1 million Americans have a heart attack each year, and about 515,000 die from heart attacks annually, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. While a heart attack occurs suddenly, its causes generally develop over several years. You can greatly reduce your risk of a heart attack through such steps as improving your diet, not smoking and exercising.

What Is a Heart Attack?
A heart attack occurs when the blood flow that brings oxygen to the heart muscle is greatly reduced or stopped. This happens due to atherosclerosis, or a thickening and hardening of the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart due to buildups of substances such as fat and cholesterol.

Who Is At Risk?
Risk factors include:

  • Diabetes
  • High blood pressure (greater than 140 mmHg systolic pressure or 90 mmHg diastolic pressure)
  • Smoking
  • Being overweight (a Body Mass Index higher than 25)
  • High levels of triglycerides (more than 150 mg/dL) and "bad" (LDL) cholesterol (more than 100 to 160 mg/dL, depending on other risk factors)
  • Low levels of "good" (HDL) cholesterol (less than 40 mg/dL for men and 50 mg/dL for women)
  • Physical inactivity

What Can I Do?

  • Don't smoke and avoid exposure to secondhand smoke
  • Aim for a healthy weight (a Body Mass Index lower than 25)
  • Be physically active each day for 30 to 60 minutes
  • Drink alcohol in moderation - an average of one drink per day for women and two for men
  • Lower high blood pressure, with medication if necessary
  • Control your diabetes

Why Choose UVa for Heart Attack Treatment?
UVa offers round-the-clock emergency access to a modern cardiac catheterization laboratory allowing us to rapidly open blocked arteries and restore blood flow, which is key to surviving a heart attack. Patients also have 24/7 access to experienced heart surgeons if emergency surgery is necessary. UVa also has the only accredited Chest Pain Center in the region to assess and treat heart attacks. In addition, UVa has been named one of America's top 50 hospitals for heart care and heart surgery by U.S. News & World Report.

Click here for information on how UVa performs against national quality standards for Heart Attack (myocardial infarction)