“Can you still have a heart attack if you have a defibrillator?”
I am a 40 year old male. I wonder if you can still have a heart attack if you have a defibrillator?
2 Answers
Mark Rasak
Cardiologist
YES, YOU CAN. The defibrillator helps with "electrical" issues, i.e., rhythm, and heart attacks are more of a "plumbing" issue, or a blocked or "clogged" artery. So, while one may cause the other, will not prevent another heart attack.
Yes, you can have a heart attack even though you have a defibrillator. A heart attack can have many causes, an arrhythmia which can be prevented with a defibrillator is only one of them. Coronary artery disease, inflammation, blood clotting disorders, hypertension are also causes and may require additional treatment.
