Description
For sample adults whom a doctor or other health professional ever diagnosed as having had a heart attack (HEARTATTEV), HEARTATAGE reports responses to the question, "How old were you when you were first told you had a heart attack?"
Heart attack was not defined in the survey documentation. The Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia defines heart attack as follows: "A heart attack (myocardial infarction) occurs when an area of heart muscle dies or is permanently damaged because of an inadequate supply of oxygen to that area."
In 2002, sample adults who ever had a heart attack that was diagnosed by a medical professional were asked whether they had a heart attack during the past 12 months (HEARTATYR).
