Known medically as myocardial infarction, a heart attack is death of part of the heart muscle following a blockage in a coronary artery, or one of its branches, which supply the heart itself with blood.
When a coronary artery becomes blocked, an area of heart muscle is starved of oxygen and dies. Blockage of the coronary arteries is usually a result of coronary artery disease, in which the insides of the arteries become narrowed by fatty deposits called plaques.
The plaques may rupture, leading to the formation of a blood clot (thrombus) at the site of rupture. The clot may then block blood flow, leading to a heart attack.
The typical symptom of a heart attack is sudden pain in the center of the chest. Sometimes, the first symptom is sudden collapse.
A few people have very mild or no symptoms, a condition called silent myocardial infarction. After a heart attack, the damage to the heart muscle may result in heart failure (reduced pumping efficiency) or heart rhythm problems, which in severe cases may be rapidly fatal.
Urgent treatment with “clot-busting” medication or angioplasty (a procedure to widen narrowed blood vessels) can restore blood flow to the heart. Other medications may also be given to help prevent heart rhythm problems and further blood clots

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