Is Sudden Cardiac Arrest the same as Heart Attack?
No. A heart attack occurs when a blood vessel feeding the heart itself is blocked by plaque or a blood clot. In a heart attack, although the heart continues to beat, irreversible damage to the heart muscle begins within 15 to 30 minutes. The longer the blood flow is interrupted, the more extensive the damage done. Treatment for heart attack includes angioplasty – using a tiny balloon to widen blocked blood vessels – and “clot-busting” drugs known as thrombolytics.
