Every year about 805,000 Americans have a heart attack. 

The heart pumps oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body through an intricate network of arteries. However, the arteries around your heart can get blocked, usually by a blood clot and less often because of severe spasms and dissection. When this happens, blood flow is slowed or blocked. 

The classic image of a person having a heart attack is one of a person clutching their chest, complaining of crushing chest pain or an elephant sitting on their chest. However, in real life, the symptoms can be more subtle.

The symptoms are:

• Chest discomfort or pain: A person may experience pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain in the center of their chest. This may come and go or persist for more than a few minutes.
• Pain or discomfort in other body parts: A person may also experience pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the stomach, jaw, back, or neck.
• Shortness of breath: A person may feel a shortness of breath with or without chest pain.

Some other heart attack symptoms may include:

• cold sweat
• nausea
• feeling light-headed
• heart palpitations
• sleep disturbances
• fatigue

Risk factors of a heart attack are similar between males and females. The American Heart Foundation list the following as risk factors:

• increasing age
• being male
• parents with heart disease
• smoking
• high cholesterol
• high blood pressure
• physical inactivity
• living with obesity
• diabetes
• stress
• alcohol intake
• diet

Some of the risk factors associated with heart attacks are not reversible, such as sex and genetic risk of heart disease.

However, a person can lower their risk of a heart attack by focusing on lifestyle changes, such as:

• Reducing or limiting alcohol intake: Low-to-moderate intake of alcohol may have some benefits for heart health. However, excessive drinking can damage the heart.
• Regularly exercising: Regular physical activity reduces blood pressure and the risk of death from a heart attack.
• Adopting a Mediterranean diet: Research suggests that people who consume Mediterranean diets may have better heart health.
• Stopping smoking: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute note that the risk of heart problems decrease soon after people quit smoking. This risk continues to decline over time.
• Losing weight: Researchers link obesity to cardiovascular issues. Therefore, losing weight may reduce the risk of a heart attack.

People cannot change all their risk factors for a heart attack. However, they can lower their likelihood by adopting a healthful lifestyle, engaging in regular physical activity, stopping smoking, and limiting alcohol consumption.