Heart attack is a common form of ischemic heart disease. The World Health Organization estimates that in 2002, more than 12% of deaths worldwide were caused by ischemic heart disease. In developed countries, it is the leading cause of death. However, in developing countries, AIDS and lower respiratory tract infections rank third.

A heart attack, known for its medical name for acute myocardial infarction, is a disease state that involves interrupting the blood supply to some of the heart. The result is that hypoxia can damage heart tissue and can lead to death. Heart attacks are the leading cause of death worldwide. Major heart attack risk factors include history of angina or vascular disease, previous stroke or heart attack, old age, excessive alcohol consumption, abuse of illegal drugs, smoking, abnormal heartbeat, obesity, high stress, high or low cholesterol, high triglyceride levels , high blood pressure and diabetes.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States – it is even more common than cancer. It is estimated that one in five deaths in the United States is caused by coronary heart disease. More than 13 million people worldwide have coronary heart disease. More than one million people suffer from coronary heart disease each year; four out of every ten people die from an attack.

Symptoms of a heart attack include anxiety, impending bad luck, chest pain, sweating, shortness of breath, palpitations, nausea and vomiting. Usually, patients with heart attacks will suddenly feel sick. The symptoms of a male heart attack are usually different from those of a woman. Women experience fatigue, shortness of breath and weakness. About one-third of all heart attacks are silent and do not include any chest pain or related symptoms.

Below, you'll find some statistics on recent American heart attacks.

452,327: The number of deaths in the United States in 2004 due to a heart attack.

20: Percentage of deaths from heart attacks in the United States in 2004.

1.2 million: The average number of heart attacks that occur each year.

38: Percentage of all people who died of coronary heart disease.

15.8 million: Number of surviving heart disease patients.

8.9 million: The estimated number of patients with angina in the United States.

400,000: The number of new cases of angina in the United States each year.

233,000: Number of women who die of cardiovascular disease each year.

14 million: The number of Americans suffering from some form of heart disease or angina.

50: Percentage of deaths occurring within 1 hour after an untreated heart attack.

60 billion: The amount spent on heart disease treatment and prevention every year.

20: Every 20 seconds, a new heart attack occurs somewhere in the United States.

60: Another heart attack occurs every minute.

Heart attack statistics was originally published on Spring