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Situated in the chest of the human body, the heart is a very specialized and complex muscular organ witch maintains the circulation of blood through the body. Because of plaque that starts blocking the arteries in the body, the heart begins to be deprived of oxygen rich filled blood, thus beginning a very dangerous cycle in witch muscle from the heart starts dying, eventually leading to heart attack, or acute myocardial infarction. Ischemia is the term used for the process when the heart is deprived of oxygenated blood for more than 30 minutes. Also because of the plaque, so called clots form when one big piece of this fatty tissue ruptures and gets to a thinner place in the artery.

Another problem that ischemia causes is electrical instability in the muscles of the heart disrupting the normal rhythm of the beatings. Keeping the brain and the organs deprived of blood for more than 5 minutes can lead to serious problems.

Studies made by the American Heart Association have shown that coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States; a mind blowing result was that 1 in 5 death in adults was because of heart attacks. From the 1.2 million heart attacks occurring every year 460,000 are fatal. Another astonishing number is 300,000, number witch represents the people that day each year because they couldn't get appropriate medical attention immediately after they suffered the stroke.

World Health Organization released a study in witch they showed that the annual death count, because of coronary heart disease, is about 17 million people throughout the entire world.

Atherosclerosis has been shown to be the primary risk factor in coronary heart disease. It is the condition mentioned earlier, where plaque form complete blockages of arteries leading afterwards to most of lethal heart attacks. Other risk factors could be : old age, diabetes, gender, heredity, smoking, lack of exercise and even elevated levels of certain amino acids and proteins.

A different type of heart attack would be the 'silent' heart attack witch can only be detected by an electrocardiogram (EKG) or by other heart test.

People should be very careful when dealing with signs that can warn about the approach of a stroke. Uncomfortable pressure, pain or discomfort in the upper area of the body, shortness of breath, cold sweat or paleness and nausea are one of many signs people should look after when dealing with the possibility of having a having a heat attack.