What is the difference between heart attack and heart failure?

Answer 1

Heart Attack : a heart attack occurs when the supply of blood and oxygen to the area of the heart muscle is blocked usually by a clot in a coronary artery often, this blockage leads to arrhythmia's, innregular heartbeat or rhythm that causes a severe decrease in pumping of the heart function and may bring sudden death. If the blockage is not treated within a few hours the affected heart muscle will die and be replaced by scar tissue.

Congestive heart failure (CHF) or heart failure is a condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood to the body's other organs, this is a result from:

. primary diseases of the heart itself, called cardimyopathy
.heart defects present at birth - congenital
heart defects
.Infections of the heart valves and/or heart muscle itself - endorcarditis and/or myocarditis
.narrow arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle - coronery artery disease.
.past heart attack, myocardial infection with scar tissue that interfers with the hearts muscle normal work
.High blood pressure
.heart valve disease due to past reheumetic fever or other causes.
the failing heart keeps working but not as effciently as it should people with heart failure cant exert themselfs b/c short breath and tired.
As blood flow out of the heart slows, blood is returning to the heart through the veins backs - up causing congestion in the tissue often swelling ( edema ) results most often in the legs, and ankles in other parts of the body also, sometimes fluid collects in the lungs & interfers with breathing causing shortness of breath especially when a person is lying down.
Heart failure also affects the kidneys ablity to dispose of sodium and water. The retainted water increases the edema.

Answer 2

Heart Attack Vs Heart Failure

Answer 3

1

Answer 4

2

Answer 5

Heart Attack
A circulation or 'plumbing' problem of the heart causes a heart attack when one or more of the arteries delivering blood to the heart are blocked. Oxygen in the blood cannot reach the heart muscle, and the heart muscle becomes damaged.

Heart Failure
An electrical problem in the heart causes Sudden Cardiac Arrest when the heart's lower chambers suddenly develop a rapid, irregular rhythm causing the ventricles to quiver rather than contract. This renders the heart an ineffective pump that can no longer supply the body and brain with oxygen.

Answer 6

When u get the heart attack for the last time it results in Heart failure..

Answer 7

Congestive heart failure (CHF), also called congestive cardiac failure (CCF) or just heart failure, is a condition that can result from any structural or functional cardiac disorder that impairs the ability of the heart to fill with or pump a sufficient amount of blood throughout the body. It is not to be confused with "cessation of heartbeat", which is known as asystole, or with cardiac arrest, which is the cessation of normal cardiac function in the face of heart disease. Because not all patients have volume overload at the time of initial or subsequent evaluation, the term "heart failure" is preferred over the older term "congestive heart failure". Congestive heart failure is often undiagnosed due to a lack of a universally agreed definition and difficulties in diagnosis, particularly when the condition is considered "mild".


Acute myocardial infarction (AMI or MI), commonly known as a heart attack, is a disease that occurs when the blood supply to a part of the heart is interrupted, causing death of heart tissue. It is the leading cause of death for both men and women all over the world.

The term myocardial infarction is derived from myocardium (the heart muscle) and infarction (tissue death). The phrase "heart attack" sometimes refers to heart problems other than MI, such as unstable angina pectoris and sudden cardiac death.

Answer 8

Heart Attack vs Heart Failure

A heart attack is commonly a sudden event resulting from a blockage of blood flow to part of the heart.

In contrast, heart failure refers to the fact that your heart is not pumping as much blood as it should to your body. This causes the blood to back up in the veins, causing swelling in the feet, ankles, and legs called edema. Fluid can also back up in the lungs, which is called pulmonary edema. This makes it difficult for you to breathe.25

People with heart failure may have shortness of breath, a tired, run-down feeling, swelling, weight gain from fluid build up, and may be confused and have difficulty thinking clearly. One of the causes, of course, is having had a prior heart attack that damaged the heart muscle.26

Answer 9

heart attack = a part of heart muscle has died = it is because of decreased blood supply because of atherosclerosis ( plaquing of blood vessels with cholestrol) heart can fail to work at normal effciency because of Heart attack if the large area of heart muscle has died because of heart attack

heart failure = heart is not functioning to the normal extent. Symptoms are Short ness of breath and swelling of feet etc
Heart attack one of the cause of Heart failure!!
other causes includes variety of problems with heart valves can cause heart failure
Infection of heart muscle can lead to heart failure

Answer 10

A heart attack is when you have to much cholesteral, normally you are propably an overweight person. Heart failure is when there is to much strain on your heart. If you have heart failure it is probably because, you are an elderly person.