Heart Attacks Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in the United States. Everyday approximately 1,500 people die from heart attacks. Thousands more suffer crippling effects of some form, and remain disabled for the rest of their lives. A simple definition of a heart attack is a sudden failure of the heart resulting from an occlusion or obstruction of a coronary artery. Basically, this means the heart is no longer receiving the blood supply it needs to function properly. A person having a heart attack experiences severe pain in the chest extending to the left shoulder and arm. Heart attacks occur for a variety of reasons. Diet, genetics, obesi