In a single year, about 805,000 Americans will have a heart attack. Around 200,000 of those people will have already had a heart attack in their lives. You might know that a heart attack can commonly manifest as pain in the left arm, but what else is happening at that moment?

In this blog, learn what's going on when a heart attack occurs, what the risk factors are, and what the symptoms of a heart attack look like.

Read our blog to learn more about how many people have heart disease in the US.

Let's Back Up: First, What is a Heart Attack?

Before we can understand what a heart attack is, we need to talk about coronary artery disease, sometimes abbreviated as CAD.

The 3 Types of Coronary Artery Disease

There are three main types of coronary artery disease:

• Obstructive coronary artery disease

• Nonobstructive coronary artery disease

• Spontaneous coronary artery disease

Obstructive coronary artery disease happens when your coronary arteries narrow over time because of plaque buildup. This can eventually block blood flow to your heart.

When there is a sudden blockage, myocardial infarction—more commonly called a heart attack—occurs. Because blood flow to the heart is blocked, the heart muscle doesn't get enough oxygen. The coronary arteries need to be immediately addressed so that the heart muscle begins receiving oxygen once again. When the heart muscle (“myocardial” refers to this) does not get oxygen, it dies (or “infarcts”).

What Are the Symptoms of a Heart Attack?

While heart attack symptoms can vary from person to person, these are some of the more common ones:

• Chest pain or discomfort, usually in the center or on the left side of the chest. The chest pain might last for a few minutes, or it can go away and come back. Chest pain can mean squeezing, pressure, or a sensation of fullness. Some people describe it like “having an elephant sitting on my chest!”

• Jaw pain, which can extend to the neck or back.

• Pain or discomfort in the arms or shoulders.

• Shortness of breath, which often (although not always) occurs alongside chest pain.

• Weakness or light-headedness, which can lead to fainting.

• Women may have atypical symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or excessive tiredness.

What Happens If You Don't Immediately Address Myocardial Infarction?

This probably goes without saying, but if you suspect you're having a heart attack—or someone you care about is having a heart attack—seeking immediate medical attention is of utmost importance. The longer you wait, the more damage the heart muscle will potentially experience. This can mean irregular heart rhythm, heart failure, and even death.

What Puts You at a Higher Risk of a Heart Attack?

There's at least some positive news here: Several of the risk factors for myocardial infarction come down to lifestyle habits. In other words, you have some control! Risk factors for a heart attack include:

• Age: Because of the changes in the heart muscle as we age, the older we get, the higher our heart attack risk becomes.

• Sex: At younger ages, males are at a higher risk of experiencing myocardial infarction. The average age for the first heart attack for males is 65, while it's 72 for females.

• Diabetes: If you have diabetes, you're at a higher risk of developing heart disease. You're also at a higher risk of having high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which are other risk factors for myocardial infarction.

• Blood pressure: High blood pressure can increase your heart attack risk because it damages the walls of blood vessels, which can increase plaque buildup.

• Cholesterol: When you have high cholesterol, fatty deposits can develop in the blood vessels, impeding blood flow through the arteries.

• Weight: Being overweight can increase several of the risk factors for heart attack, including cholesterol, blood pressure, and diabetes.

• Tobacco use: Smoking is responsible for 25% of all deaths due to cardiovascular disease. It causes all sorts of damage to the heart muscle, including harming the cells that line blood vessels and increasing the buildup of plaque in the blood vessels. It also increases the risk of blood clots, which can harm blood flow to the heart (and brain, which is called a stroke). Exposure to secondhand smoke is also bad for your heart!

At an Increased Risk? Monitoring Your Heart Health is a Must

If you think you're at an increased risk of myocardial infarction, consider a cardiac risk monitoring panel. eNational Testing will take a quick blood sample to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of your cardiac health. This panel offers insight into your cholesterol, vitamin levels, inflammation, blood clot-related issues, mineral levels (like iron), body fat, hormones, and more to determine your risk level for a heart attack, stroke, other types of cardiovascular disease, and more.

Find a testing center near you.

Lifestyle Changes to Reduce Your Heart Attack Risk

If any of these risk factors apply to you, let's talk about a few simple lifestyle changes that can make you less likely to experience myocardial infarction.

• Eat a heart-healthy diet: This means watching your sugar, fat, and salt intake. We're not telling you to cut them out completely. Your body still needs healthy sugars, fats, and salt in the right quantities. Rather, aim for balance. If you're eating steak four nights a week, try cutting that down to one or two. Remember, what you consume is the biggest factor in your body weight (outside of medical conditions that lead to weight gain). It is best to consult with a dietician regarding your specific needs.

• Get up and move: Nutrition comes first because you can't out-exercise a bad diet. However, movement is still vital. Each week, include at least a little cardio, strength training, and mobility. It's not just your heart muscle that will thank you. Physical activity provides endless benefits to both your mental and physical health. Discuss with your healthcare provider which levels of exercise are safe and optimal for your cardiovascular health.

• Ditch the alcohol and cigarettes: Both are bad for various types of heart disease. (Remember, a heart attack is a type of heart disease.) There is no amount of smoking that is safe or healthy. As for alcohol, while some argue that red wine offers certain perks, more and more medical experts are echoing a similar sentiment: There is no reason to be drinking alcohol.

Most of us know at least one person with cardiovascular disease. The threat of a heart attack is scary, but you have a degree of control! Consider the lifestyle changes we shared, monitor your cardiac biomarkers with blood work, and keep myocardial infarction at bay.