heart and blood vessel disorders
Acute Coronary Syndromes (Heart Attack; Myocardial Infarction; Unstable Angina)
Prognosis for Acute Coronary Syndromes
Many people who have unstable angina go on to have a heart attack within about 3 months. The most dangerous time for someone who is having a heart attack is during the first few hours and before they go to a hospital. During this period, up to 20 to 30 percent of people with a heart attack may die, so it is critical to seek medical attention immediately when people suspect they are having a heart attack. Most people who survive for a few days after a heart attack can expect a full recovery, but about 10% die within a year. Most deaths occur in the first 3 or 4 months, typically in people who continue to have angina, Overview of Abnormal Heart Rhythms originating in the ventricles (ventricular arrhythmias), or Older people are more likely to die after a heart attack and to have complications, such as heart failure. The prognosis for smaller people is worse than that for larger people. This finding may help explain why the prognosis for women who have had a heart attack is, on average, worse than that for men. Women also tend to be older and to have more serious disorders when they have a heart attack. Also, they tend to wait longer after a heart attack to go to the hospital than do men. Half of deaths due to a heart attack occur in the first 3 or 4 hours after symptoms begin. 