When it comes to heart attack care and survival, minutes count.

Fewer people are dying from heart attacks, partly because of close coordination with first responders and advances in heart attack care. Both allow for faster restoration of blood flow to the heart muscle, limiting long-term damage.

The heart’s job is to supply blood to the rest of the body to power everything you do, from raising your arm to reading this page. The heart itself needs oxygen-laden blood to keep pumping. When this supply is limited or blocked altogether, the results can be a deadly myocardial infarction — a heart attack.

The sooner blood flow is restored, the less heart muscle is damaged, improving chances of survival. 

To deliver the fastest possible heart attack care, Norton Heart & Vascular Institute collaborated with other health care providers, emergency medical services, air transport providers and others to deliver the fastest possible care for the particularly dangerous ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). This effort formed the first regional STEMI network in Kentucky. 

One call mobilizes the entire heart attack care team, with a goal of opening a blocked artery within 90 minutes after the patient seeks medical help.

Interventional cardiologists at Norton Healthcare are recognized for reopening the artery with speed and expertise, using minimally invasive methods that restore blood flow to your heart without major surgery. 

Norton Healthcare’s adult-service hospitals in Louisville all have received Chest Pain Center accreditation from the American College of Cardiology (ACC). This is the seventh consecutive accreditation for all four hospitals, which ensures quality for the treatment of heart attack.

Norton Healthcare has the most facilities across the city of Louisville providing advanced heart attack care.

Preventing a First or Second Heart Attack

In the United States, someone has a heart attack about every 40 seconds, according to the American Heart Association.

About 805,000 people have heart attacks every year. For a quarter of those, the heart attack is their second or third (or more). 

Preventing first-time heart attacks and recurrences requires taking steps such as maintaining a healthy diet, exercising regularly, not smoking and managing stress. If you are at risk for heart disease or have a family history of heart attacks, it’s important to speak with your health care provider about preventive measures and monitoring your heart health.

is it a quarter of the 805.000 people? or a quarter of the heart attacks?

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