Just like the rest of your body, your heart needs a continuous supply of blood. A heart attack happens when there is a sudden reduction, or loss, of blood flow to a part of the heart muscle.1
This mostly happens due fatty deposits forming on the artery lining, breaking off and causing damage, leading to the formation of a clot.1
If the clot blocks the artery supplying the heart it can cause a heart attack, if a clot forms in a vessel supplying the brain it can cause a stroke.1
A heart attack always causes some permanent damage to the heart muscle and if you’ve had one heart attack, unfortunately you’re at risk of having another one, or a stroke.1 That’s why it’s important for people to take action to prevent any future problems by looking after themselves and their heart health.
The time it takes to recover depends on the amount of damage to the heart muscle. Recovery involves reducing the risk of having another heart attack through lifestyle changes and medications as well as gradually building up physical fitness.
It’s impossible to know if someone will have another heart attack, but having one does increase the risk of having another.3
The good news it that there are things that can help reduce the likelihood of this happening.
Information provided on this site is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice.