The common sign of heart attack is chest pain, usually in the front of the chest, often described as tight or heavy. Sometimes heart attacks can be felt in the jaw or neck, or left shoulder and left arm. Many times it will be brought on or made worse with activity when the heart needs more oxygen to do its work. Risk Factors Extensive clinical and statistical studies have identified several factors that increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Children of parents with cardiovascular disease are more likely to develop it themselves.
Men have a greater risk of heart attack than women, and they have attacks earlier in life.
About four out of five people who die of heart attack are over 65. At older ages, women who have heart attacks are twice as likely as men to die from them within a few weeks. Smokers' risk of heart attack is more than twice that of nonsmokers. High blood cholesterol levels. The risk of coronary heart disease rises as blood cholesterol levels increase.