What is a heart attack?
When blood flow to the heart is blocked a heart attack occurs. If the blood flow is not restored back to that part of the heart muscle, that section of the heart is damaged from lack of oxygen and begins to die.

What causes a heart attack?
The most prominent cause of heart disease is coronary artery disease, or CAD. CAD is plaque buildup on the inner walls of the coronary arteries. If a section of plaque breaks open a blood clot can form at the site. When and if this clot becomes big enough to block most or all of the coronary artery a heart attack occurs.

What are the symptoms of a heart attack?
Although there are several common signs and symptoms of a heart attack, many people have little to no symptoms and do not even realize they are having a heart attack. Heart attacks with no symptoms are called silent heart attacks. Some of the most common signs and symptoms for heart attacks include: chest pain or discomfort, shortness of breath, upper body discomfort in one or both arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach, and nausea.

How can I prevent a heart attack? 
There are a lot of things you can do to prevent having a heart attack. One of the most important is leading a healthy lifestyle. Try to get at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week and make a commitment to having the healthiest diet possible. Try to maintain a healthy weight and refrain from tobacco use. In addition to leading a heart healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise, try to minimize your risk factors for other conditions and diseases that often lead to heart attacks. If you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and/or diabetes you should maintain your condition to the best of your ability and always follow your doctor's orders. By getting control of your diabetes, cholesterol, or blood pressure you are significantly reducing your risk factors for a heart attack.

What kind of treatment is required for a heart attack?
One of the most common treatments for heart attack is medication. Heart attack patients also often undergo cardiac rehabilitation. If medication, lifestyle changes, and cardiac rehabilitation do not work there are also many medical procedures, both surgical and nonsurgical, that the patients can have.