Heart attack vs cardiac arrest
Understand the differences between these life-threatening, but unique, conditions
Most of us have heard of heart attack and cardiac arrest - but did you know these terms do not refer to the same condition?
While heart attack and cardiac arrest are both medical emergencies that affect how the heart functions, each one has different causes, levels of severity, and treatments.
Understanding the difference between these conditions is the key to saving lives.
What is the difference between a heart attack and a cardiac arrest?
A heart attack is a blood supply problem to the heart, which occurs when an artery that supplies oxygen to the heart is suddenly blocked, starving the heart of oxygen.
When this happens, the heart muscle cells begin to die. The longer the heart is without oxygen, the more permanent the damage.
A cardiac arrest is an electrical problem in the heart that causes the heart to suddenly stop pumping blood.
Cardiac arrest causes loss of heart function, breathing and consciousness. This can lead to death within 10 minutes if untreated.
What's the link between cardiac arrest and heart attack?
While these two conditions are different, there are links between them such as:
- experiencing a heart attack increases your risk of having a cardiac arrest
- cardiac arrest can occur due to a heart attack
- heart attacks don’t always lead to cardiac arrest, but heart attacks are a common cause of cardiac arrest
What should you do if someone goes into cardiac arrest?
If a cardiac arrest is suspected, you should:
- call 000 if in Australia, or the appropriate emergency number if in another country
- begin CPR if the person is unconscious or not breathing
- use an automated external defibrillator (AED) if it is available and the person is unconscious
What should you do if someone is having a heart attack?
If a heart attack is suspected, you should:
- call 000 if in Australia, or the appropriate emergency number if in another country (DO NOT drive to hospital - if you do go into cardiac arrest paramedics have specialist equipment to help)
- chew aspirin (unless allergic)
- take nitroglycerin if prescribed by your doctor for an existing heart condition
- begin CPR if the person is unconscious or not breathing
- use an automated external defibrillator (AED) if it is available and the person is unconscious
How to tell the difference between cardiac arrest and heart attack
Heart attackBlood supply issue |
Cardiac arrestElectrical issue |
|
|---|---|---|
Cause |
When an artery that supplies oxygen to the heart is blocked, starving the heart of oxygen | When the heart stops beating due to an electrical problem in the heart |
Symptoms |
|
|
Time frame |
Symptoms can progress over minutes to hours | Symptoms are immediate and will cause sudden death within 10 minutes if untreated |
What to do |
Frequently asked questions about heart attack and cardiac arrest
Which is worse: heart attack or cardiac arrest?
The likelihood of dying from a cardiac arrest is much higher than for heart attack.
90% of people will not survive an out of hospital cardiac arrest. Without treatment, a cardiac arrest will cause sudden death within 10 minutes.
For Australians who have a heart attack, the survival rate is 76.2 per cent after three years, 68.6 per cent after five years, and 62.3 per cent at seven years.
For those aged under 65, survival rates after seven years exceed 85 per cent.
What comes first: heart attack or cardiac arrest?
Both heart attack and cardiac arrest can occur independently.
Having a heart attack does however put you at higher risk of experiencing cardiac arrest.
Do all heart attacks lead to cardiac arrest?
Heart attacks don’t always lead to cardiac arrest, but heart attacks are a common cause of cardiac arrest.
Can a healthy person have a heart attack or go into cardiac arrest?
Heart attack
High cholesterol – in particular high levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol such as LDL and Lp(a) - can be genetic and can occur in those with otherwise healthy lifestyles. This is known as familial hypercholesterolemia.
High cholesterol is a risk factor for heart attack.
It is important to speak to your doctor if your family has a history of high cholesterol, or early heart attack, stroke, or unexplained death.
Cardiac arrest
People with normal, healthy hearts can suffer a cardiac arrest due to triggers such as:
- an electrical shock
- use of illegal drugs
- trauma to the chest at the wrong time of the heart’s cycle
- genetic causes such as rare genes that can cause issues with the electrical stability of the heart rhythm
People with certain undiagnosed heart conditions are also at risk of cardiac arrest.
Acknowledgement of Country
The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute acknowledges Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to Elders past and present.
