A heart attack is a frightening experience. If you've had a heart attack or are close to someone who has, you're not alone: ​​Tens of thousands of Americans are surviving. As you work toward your recovery, please use the following questions and answers to better understand what happened to you and how you can help your heart heal so you can live a healthier, longer life. Your heart muscle needs oxygen to survive. A heart attack occurs when the blood flow that carries oxygen to the heart muscle is severely reduced or completely interrupted (See an animation of blood flow). This happens because the coronary arteries that supply blood flow to the heart muscle can slowly become narrowed due to a buildup of fat, cholesterol, and other substances that together are called plaque. This slow process is known as atherosclerosis. When a plaque in a heart artery ruptures, a blood clot forms around the plaque. This blood clot can block blood flow to the heart muscle. When the heart muscle lacks oxygen and nutrients, it is called ischemia. When damage or death of part of the heart muscle occurs as a result of ischemia, it is called a heart attack or myocardial infarction (MI). Approximately every 40 seconds, someone in the United States suffers a myocardial infarction (heart attack). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Major Risk Factors The risk factors in this list are those that you are born with and cannot be changed. The more risk factors you have, the more likely you are to develop coronary heart disease. Since there is nothing you can do about these risk factors, it is even more important that you manage risk factors that can be changed. Increasing age The majority of people who die from coronary heart disease are 65 years or older. At older ages, women who have a heart attack are more likely than men to die within a few weeks. Male (gender) Men are at greater risk of heart attacks than women, and they experience attacks earlier in life. Even after menopause, when women's death rates from heart disease increase, they are not as high as men's. Heredity (including race) Children of parents with heart disease are more likely to develop it themselves. African Americans have more severe high blood pressure than Caucasians and are at higher risk of heart disease. Heart disease risk is also higher among Mexican Americans, American Indians, Hawaiians, and some Asian Americans. This is partly due to higher rates of obesity and diabetes. Most people with a strong family history of heart disease have one or more other risk factors. Just like you can't control your age, gender, and race, you can't control your family history. Therefore, it is even more important to address and control any other risk factors you have. Warning Signs of a Heart Attack Don't wait to get help if you experience any of these warning signs of a heart attack. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Personalized Trial Although some heart attacks are sudden and intense, most..