Cardiac arrest and heart attack are often used loosely and interchangeably. Perhaps, the layman does not know the difference. However, there’s a difference, and it is stark. But, don’t worry; Team First check is here to help you understand the difference between the two so that you can monitor your health and seek timely and appropriate advice. 

For the uninitiated, cardiac arrest is an electrical problem, whereas heart attack is a circulation problem.

To understand the difference, one needs to be clear about the working of the cardiovascular system. 

The cardiovascular system, also referred to simply as the circulatory system, comprises the heart, a muscular pumping device, and a closed system of vessels-- arteries, veins, and capillaries. The arteries carry blood away from the heart, whereas the veins transport it back to the heart. The capillaries connect these two types of blood vessels. 

So what is a heart attack? A heart attack, also termed myocardial infarction, is caused by the narrowing of the coronary artery from the build-up of fat, cholesterol, and other substances such as cellular waste that together are termed plaque. As slivers of this plaque breakaway, it is carried by the blood stream and eventually begins obstructing the flow of blood to the heart. Plaque also leads to the formation of a blood clot. This too contributes to depriving the muscles of the heart of blood supply and thereby oxygen and other nutrients. Further, plaque build-up also leads to the thickening of the arteries, narrowing the channel available for blood flow and restricting the blood supply reaching the heart. Heart muscles need oxygen to survive. When the blood supply and oxygen supply to these heart muscles are restricted or completely cut off, one is at a risk of experiencing a heart attack. 

Now that we know what is a “heart attack”, let us try and unpack what a cardiac arrest is. One experiences a cardiac arrest, also referred to as a sudden cardiac arrest, when the heart abruptly stops pumping blood because of problems associated with electrical activity of the heart. During such an occurrence the flood flow to vital organs of the body such as the brain is completely cut off. Electrical signals govern the rate of one’s heartbeat. When nerve cells that generate these electrical signals or impulses do not function optimally or when these signals do not travel through the heart, one’s normal heartbeat gets disrupted, a condition called arrythmia, leading to conditions for a possible cardiac arrest. Many cases of cardiac arrest outside a medical-care facility result in death, within minutes. 

Is there a meeting point of a heart attack and a cardiac arrest? Indeed, there is. A heart attack could lead to one’s heart beating out of rhythm and manifest in a possible cardiac arrest.  

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