Yes, you can still have a heart attack. An ICD does not prevent a myocardial infarction, which is a blocked artery causing heart muscle tissue to die. Things like exercise, improved diet, reduced stress, and other lifestyle changes suggested in a cardiac rehab program will reduce chances for a heart attack. The ICD implant will save your life 99% of the time if you have a potentially lethal episode of arrhythmia. (According to current statistics.

Often, it is not easy to tell. But there are symptoms people may have.

episode of angina is NOT a heart attack. However, people with angina report having a hard time telling the difference between angina symptoms and heart attack symptoms. Angina is a recurring pain or discomfort in the chest that happens when some part of the heart does not receive enough blood temporarily. A person may notice it during exertion (such as in climbing stairs). It is usually relieved within a few minutes by resting or by taking prescribed angina medicine.

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A heart attack is an event that results in permanent heart damage or death. It is also known as a myocardial infarction, because part of the heart muscle (myocardium) may literally die (infarction). A heart attack occurs when one of the coronary arteries becomes severely or totally blocked, usually by a blood clot. When the heart muscle does not obtain the oxygen-rich blood that it needs, it will begin to die.

I'm a 45-year-old woman and 30 lbs. overweight. If I were to make one change in my health behaviors, what do you suggest that I do or not do? I do not smoke. What is the relation of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) to Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)? The newspapers suggest that one is at higher risk of having a heart attack if one takes HRT.

The signs of a heart attack usually occur at the time of the event and usually involve chest pain (also squeezing, pressure, burning, or heaviness). There can also be radiation of the pain to the left arm, throat or jaw, shortness of breath, dizziness, sweating, nausea, and fainting. Unfortunately sudden death due to cardiac arrest can also be the first symptom. There are also "silent heart attacks" where there are no symptoms but the heart attack is discovered on a routine EKG.

Emergency medical personnel-also called EMS, for emergency medical services-bring medical care to you. For example, they bring oxygen and medications. And they can actually restart someone’s heart if it stops after they arrive. Your wife/husband/friend/coworker can’t do that, or help you at all if they are driving. In the ambulance, there are enough people to give you the help you need and get you to the hospital right away.

Heart attacks are usually associated with chest pain that is in the center of the chest or just to the left of center. The pain is usually a dull, oppressive pain that may be conceived as a pressure or weight on the chest. Patients may have left arm pain, shoulder pain or jaw pain. Right arm pain has also been reported. Shortness of breath is associated with the pain and patients may have sweating and/or nausea and vomiting.

ICD = Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator. Like a pacemaker, it is a device to correct cardiac arrhythmia. This device usually has a pacing function to overcome slow beats. The cardioversion-defibrillation circuitry provides a short burst of high voltage electricity to disrupt the "fluttering" when a heart races as fast as 300+ beats per minute, and restore a normal (sinus rhythm) heart beat.

During a heart attack, one of the coronary arteries becomes partially or completely blocked. The area of the heart muscle that does not receive enough oxygenated blood through the artery suffers damage, and so the heart cells die from a lack of oxygen supply. The larger the area that receives insufficient oxygen, the more severe the attack.

The most frequent symptoms are a discomforting sense of pressure or pain in the center of the chest which can last over 20 minutes or can come and go; pain radiating to the shoulders, neck or arms (usually the left arm); chest discomfort with a sense of dizziness, fainting, sweating, nausea and shortness of breath.

The most important thing is to take immediate action. One common treatment is to have the person chew gum containing acetylsalicylic acid, an antiplatelet agent. This makes blood more fluid and enhances its flow in the blood vessels. It is also used as part of a post-heart attack therapy regimen. In the hospital, pain is reduced by administering oxygen and infusions of nitroglycerin and other drugs to decrease the heart muscle’s demand for oxygen. Surgery may be performed if required.

Yes, because people with angina usually have coronary artery disease, they are at an increased risk for a heart attack. If angina episodes start happening more often, lasting longer, or occurring even when you're at rest (known as unstable angina), a heart attack may be about to happen. Studies indicate that every year, 3% to 3.5% of angina patients have heart attacks. If you feel you might be having a heart attack, call 911 or your local emergency number right away.