Know the heart attack signs before you need them.
Someone in the U.S. has a heart attack about every 40 seconds. This is a plain-language guide to spotting one, what to do in the first minutes, hands-only CPR, lowering your risk, and life after, with links to the sources behind it.
What to do if it’s happening now
Don't wait to be sure. Treatments that reopen a blocked artery work best when they start early, and every minute of delay costs heart muscle.
Call 911- Call 911
Call within five minutes of symptoms starting, even if you aren't sure. Tell the dispatcher, "I think this is a heart attack."
- Let the ambulance take you
Don't drive yourself. EMS crews can start treatment on the way and can restart a heart that stops.
- Follow the dispatcher
They may tell you to chew an uncoated aspirin, but only if you aren't allergic and haven't been told to avoid it. If a doctor has prescribed you nitroglycerin, take it as directed.
- Sit down and unlock the door
Rest, unlock the front door for the crew, and keep someone with you if you can.
- If they collapse, start CPR
If the person stops responding and isn't breathing normally, start hands-only CPR and send someone for an AED.
Heart attack warning signs
Some heart attacks are sudden and intense. Most start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort that's easy to talk yourself out of. Not everyone gets every sign.
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Chest discomfort
Pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
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Arm or shoulder pain
Pain or discomfort in one or both arms or shoulders.
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Jaw, neck or back pain
Discomfort that spreads to the jaw, neck or upper back, sometimes with no chest pain at all.
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Stomach discomfort
Pain in the upper stomach, or what feels like indigestion or heartburn.
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Shortness of breath
With or without chest discomfort.
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Other signs
A cold sweat, nausea or vomiting, lightheadedness, or unusual tiredness.
Women's symptoms
Chest pain or discomfort is the most common symptom for women, too. Women are somewhat more likely to also have shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, back or jaw pain, and unusual tiredness.
It can be quiet
About 1 in 5 heart attacks is silent. The heart is damaged, but the person doesn't realize it happened. Regular checkups catch what symptoms miss.
Don't wait it out
If symptoms last more than a few minutes, or come and go, call 911. Five minutes is the limit, not the goal.
What happens during a heart attack
A heart attack happens when blood flow to part of the heart muscle gets blocked. Usually a blood clot forms on fatty plaque inside one of the coronary arteries, the vessels that feed the heart.
Without blood, that part of the muscle starts to die. The longer the artery stays blocked, the more damage is done, and some of it can be permanent. That's why speed matters so much: hospitals can reopen the artery with medicine or a procedure, and both work best early. Coronary artery disease, the slow buildup of plaque over years, is the main cause.
Heart attack or cardiac arrest?
People mix them up, but they're different emergencies.
Heart attack
A circulation problem.
A blocked artery keeps blood from reaching part of the heart. The person is usually awake and their heart is still beating. Symptoms can build over minutes or hours.
Do this: call 911.
Cardiac arrest
An electrical problem.
The heart's rhythm fails and it suddenly stops pumping. The person collapses, doesn't respond, and isn't breathing normally.
Do this: call 911, start CPR, use an AED.
A heart attack can trigger cardiac arrest, either during the attack or during recovery.
Every 40 seconds
That's how often someone in the U.S. has a heart attack, according to the CDC.
Since you opened this page, about 0 people in the U.S. have had a heart attack.
- 805,000
- heart attacks in the U.S. each year
- 605,000
- of those are a person's first
- 200,000
- happen to someone who has already had one
- 1 in 5
- are silent: the damage happens, but the person doesn't know it
About half of U.S. adults (47%) have at least one of the three biggest risk factors: high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, or smoking.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Hands-only CPR
If a teen or adult suddenly collapses and isn't breathing normally, their heart has likely stopped. You don't need a certificate to help. Pushing on the chest keeps blood moving to the brain until help arrives, and according to the American Heart Association, CPR can double or triple someone's chance of surviving.
- Call 911 and get an AED
Point at someone and tell them to call 911, and tell someone else to find an AED. If you're alone, call on speaker. The dispatcher can coach you through it.
- Push hard and fast in the center of the chest
With the person on their back on a firm surface, put the heel of one hand on the center of the chest and your other hand on top. Keep your arms straight and shoulders over your hands. Push down at least 2 inches, 100 to 120 times a minute, and let the chest come all the way back up each time. Keep going until EMS takes over, an AED is ready, or the person starts breathing normally.
Using an AED
An AED (automated external defibrillator) talks you through every step. Turn it on and follow the voice prompts. It checks the heart's rhythm and tells you if a shock is needed. The pads go on bare skin, so move clothing out of the way, including a bra. Bystanders are less likely to use an AED on women. Don't let that stop you.
Practice the beat
0 pushes
This keeps time at 110 a minute, the middle of the 100 to 120 target. That's about the tempo of the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive." Push along on a firm cushion to feel the pace.
Lowering your heart attack risk
Most heart attacks come from artery disease that builds quietly for years, so everyday habits matter. The American Heart Association boils heart health down to eight measures it calls Life's Essential 8.
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Eat better
Lean on vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, nuts, fish and lean protein. Go easy on salt, added sugar and processed food.
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Move more
Aim for about 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, like brisk walking, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity.
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Quit tobacco
That includes vaping. One year after quitting, your risk of coronary heart disease drops by about half.
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Get healthy sleep
Most adults need 7 to 9 hours a night. Short sleep pushes up blood pressure and other risks.
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Manage weight
Extra weight, especially around the middle, raises the odds of heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.
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Control cholesterol
High "bad" cholesterol feeds plaque in the arteries. A simple blood test tells you where you stand.
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Manage blood sugar
Over time, high blood sugar damages the heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves.
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Manage blood pressure
High blood pressure often has no symptoms and is one of the biggest drivers of heart attacks. Get it checked.
Know your numbers
Ask your doctor for your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and BMI, and what they mean for you. You can get a free heart score with the American Heart Association's My Life Check.
After a heart attack
Recovery takes weeks to months. People who've had one heart attack are more likely to have another, so the next steps matter.
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Go to cardiac rehab
A supervised program of exercise, education on eating, medicines and quitting tobacco, and counseling for stress. Ask for a referral before you leave the hospital.
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Take your medicines and keep follow-ups
Take medicines exactly as prescribed, and don't stop any without talking to your doctor first. Keep every follow-up visit.
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Make a plan for next time
Go over the warning signs with the people you live with. Ask your doctor whether to keep aspirin or nitroglycerin on hand, and make sure everyone knows to call 911.
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Look after your mood
Depression and anxiety are common after a heart attack and can slow recovery. Tell your care team. It's treatable, and peer support groups help too.
Heart attack resources
Where to go next, sorted by what you need.
In an emergency
- Call 911
The fastest way to treatment. EMS can start care on the way and restart a heart that stops.
- PulsePoint
Free apps that map nearby AEDs and can alert CPR-trained people to a cardiac arrest close by, in participating areas.
Understand heart attacks
- American Heart Association: Heart attack
Warning signs, causes, diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
- CDC: Heart attack
Symptoms, risk factors and recovery from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- NIH: Heart attack
In-depth guide from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
- Heart attack or cardiac arrest?
The American Heart Association on how the two differ.
Learn CPR
- AHA Hands-Only CPR
Short videos and how-tos you can learn in minutes.
- American Red Cross CPR classes
In-person and blended CPR and AED courses near you.
Lower your risk
- Life's Essential 8
The AHA's checklist for heart health, with tips for each measure.
- My Life Check
A free online heart score based on those eight measures.
- Million Hearts
A national program to prevent heart attacks and strokes, with tools for blood pressure and more.
- Smokefree.gov
Free help to quit. You can also call 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
Recover and find support
- AHA Support Network
An online community for survivors and caregivers.
- Mended Hearts
Peer support from people who've been through heart disease, for patients and families.
- WomenHeart
Support and advocacy for women living with heart disease.
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988 any time if you're struggling emotionally.