Widowmaker Heart Attack: Why Is It More Dangerous Than Normal Attack And Who Is Most At Risk?

A widowmaker heart attack is a type of heart attack that’s caused by a 100 per cent blockage of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery. It’s also sometimes referred to as a chronic total obstruction (CTO).

The LAD artery carries fresh blood into the heart so that the heart gets the oxygen it needs to pump properly. If it’s blocked, the heart can stop very fast — which is why this type of heart attack is called a “widowmaker.”

But the widowmaker isn’t always fatal. Let’s take a closer look at how to know when one might be coming, what can cause it, and who is it at risk and its symptoms.

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What is a?widowmaker heart attack?

A widowmaker heart attack occurs when a blockage forms at the beginning of the LAD artery, completely restricting blood flow to a large portion of the heart, including the front part, which is the “workhorse” of the heart. A blockage in the LAD artery can substantially impair the heart’s function.

Within just a few seconds or minutes after the blockage forms, the heart muscle may become extremely weak, stop working, or have electrical instability that causes it to stop pumping. If the restoration of blood flow does not take place quickly, the heart muscle may die irreversibly.??

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How dangerous is it?

This heart attack is different from others because it is immediately life-threatening. “Fifty per cent of heart attack deaths happen in the first few hours after symptoms begin. In this type of heart attack, a large area of the heart muscle is abruptly deprived of blood due to the blockage in the beginning part of the large and important left anterior descending (LAD) artery, which supplies more than 50 per cent of blood to the heart muscle. This can lead to an immediate fatality and of the remaining who survive, 10 per cent don’t survive beyond 1 year,” Dr Venkatesh said.

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What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of a widowmaker are essentially the same as those of any type of heart attack. And as with other heart attacks, you may not notice any symptoms until the heart attack begins (and sometimes not even then).

Some of the warning signs and symptoms include:

• feeling chest pain or discomfort
• experiencing pain that radiates out into your arms, legs, back, neck, or jaw
• having pain in your abdominal area that feels like heartburn
• having muscle pain in your chest or neck that feels like a pulled muscle
• having difficulty breathing
• feeling anxious or panicky for no apparent reason
• feeling dizzy, lightheaded, or disorientedgetting sweaty without warning
• feeling sickthrowing up
• feeling like your heart is skipping beats

Women are more likely to experience many of these symptoms without having chest pain.

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Who is at most risk?

Heart attacks, including widowmakers, usually happen because of a combination of lifestyle and genetic reasons. Cholesterol and fatty plaque clog your arteries over time and choke off the blood.

You’re more likely to have heart attacks if you:

• Smoke
• Are obese
• Eat a lot of unhealthy foods
• Are over 45 (men) or 55 (women)
• Don’t exercise
• Have high blood pressure
• Have uncontrolled diabetes
• Have a family history of heart disease

As the symptoms of a heart attack vary from person to person, it is vital to learn as much information about them as possible.People can start by asking their doctor about their heart health and how to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease.

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