| It is a popular term for an acute failure of | | | | age of 60, there is a sharp decrease in the |
| the pumping action of the heart, accompanied | | | | incidence of heart-attacks.Causes of heart |
| by lung congestion and the accumulation of | | | | attack A major cause of heart failure is |
| fluid in the dependent parts of the body. | | | | coronary thrombosis. In this disorder, a |
| The symptoms of heart attack include | | | | blood clot in one of the small coronary |
| coughing, copious frothy spittle, discomfort | | | | arteries obstructs the delivery of blood to a |
| when lying down, laboured breathing, rapid | | | | portion of the heart. If the affected muscle |
| heart action, blueness of the skin and lips, | | | | segment dies, the heart may no longer be able |
| swelling of the legs and fatigue. Heart | | | | to function properly. Other leading causes |
| attacks rank first as the cause of death, | | | | of heart-attack include severe hypertension |
| cancer being second and diabetes third. Men | | | | (excessively high blood pressure) and |
| are more prone to heart attacks than women. | | | | obstruction or blocks in one or more of the |
| Heart attacks are not rare in young men | | | | heart valves. Heart failure may occur within |
| between 30 and 35 years of age but beyond 35 | | | | a few minutes after a coronary thrombosis or |
| years and up to 60, the likelihood of | | | | may develop slowly over several weeks as when |
| heart-attacks increases sharply. After the | | | | a valve is obstructed. |