Heart attack: Why every minute counts and how prevention and aftercare can save lives

“Every year, up to 32,000 people in Austria suffer a heart attack, and every 15 minutes, someone in Austria dies from a cardiovascular disease. In general, cardiovascular diseases remain the number one cause of death in the EU. This does not have to be the case, as cardiovascular health can be improved through optimized prevention. To this end, everyone should be aware of their key health indicators, such as cholesterol levels, blood pressure, blood sugar, BMI and, more recently, lipoprotein(a), and then adjust their lifestyles accordingly and, if necessary, take medication. Early detection in at-risk groups using modern precision medicine methods, as well as follow-up care for people who have suffered a heart attack or other cardiovascular disease, is also essential. In general, we have a very good emergency response system in Austria. “As many as 93 to 97 per cent of people who have a heart attack and arrive at hospital in time survive it,” emphasizes Prof. Franz Weidinger, former Head of the 2nd Department of Medicine with Cardiology and Internal Intensive Care at the Landstraße Clinic and Past President of the European Society of Cardiology 2024–2026.

“Time is muscle” – 90 minutes to open the blockage

Thanks to a well-established chain of care, the mortality rate in Austria for people who have suffered a heart attack and are admitted to hospital in time is only around 3%. For people who suffer heart failure as a result of circulatory shock, this figure rises significantly to 50–60%. “Generally speaking, over the last 20 years we have managed to drastically reduce mortality from heart attacks and have reached a stable plateau in hospital care. The major problem we still face is that people do not always get to hospital in time. This is mainly because patients do not take their symptoms seriously or misinterpret them. Yet, with a heart attack in particular, every minute counts. From the time of diagnosis, a maximum of 60 to 90 minutes should elapse before the artery is reopened,” explains Weidinger.

The STEMI emergency response chain for heart attacks – how to call 144 correctly

As a heart attack is caused by the sudden blockage of a coronary artery, it usually results in persistent pain or pressure in the centre of the chest. This often radiates down the left arm and is accompanied by symptoms ranging from sweating to nausea. “If these symptoms occur, it is important to call the emergency services immediately on 144 and state that you are experiencing severe chest pain. The emergency services know exactly which hospital is responsible for acute care and, whilst collecting the patient, will already check whether this or another hospital currently has the capacity to open the coronary artery within two hours. In addition to the symptoms, the ECG, which is performed on-site or in the ambulance, confirms the suspicion, so that the patient is taken straight to the cardiac catheterization laboratory at the correct hospital and prepared for the procedure as quickly as possible,” explains the cardiologist. The typical ECG pattern with so-called ST-segment elevations also gives its name to the STEMI emergency response chain. If the pain or pressure is not very typical and, for example, radiates to the abdomen, back or shoulder area, or if nausea and sweating occur without pain, Weidinger also recommends calling the emergency services immediately, as these could also be atypical symptoms indicating a heart attack.

PCI procedure – the gold standard for treating heart attacks and angina pectoris

Using percutaneous coronary intervention – known as PCI for short – the blood vessel blocked by the heart attack is reopened in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. This involves using a catheter – a long, thin plastic tube through which a guidewire and a balloon catheter are inserted – to open up the blood vessel. This allows the affected heart muscle to be ‘saved’, as blood and oxygen can once again reach the heart. To ensure that the vessel remains permanently open, a suitable stent – a cylindrical metal mesh that acts as a support – is inserted. This PCI method is now standard practice not only for heart attacks but also for non-acute narrowings that trigger angina pectoris. In these cases, the chest pain is not persistent but occurs episodically for 5 to 10 minutes before subsiding spontaneously. “Across Europe, between 80 and 90 per cent of revascularizations—procedures to open or widen narrowed coronary arteries—are now performed using the PCI method. This is also made possible by advances in intravascular imaging using ultrasound and OCT. The latter is a thin probe with a light source that makes the inner wall of the vessel clearly visible when the PCI method is used. Surgical bypass surgery is now only necessary in a small percentage of cases, between 10 and 20%,” explains Weidinger.

Aftercare – a key aspect of ongoing prevention

For Weidinger, it is not only the immediate treatment of a heart attack that is crucial, but also the aftercare. “The aim here is to get to the root cause of why the heart attack occurred, to determine whether certain risk factors are present, and to establish how these can be avoided through lifestyle changes and/or specific medication. Smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes, as well as severe obesity and a lack of exercise, are major risk factors. Therefore, according to guidelines, cholesterol-lowering medication is always prescribed to significantly reduce cholesterol levels. Other medications, such as antiplatelet therapy, are also necessary to ensure that the implanted stent remains open and that no new plaques can form. If the heart attack was treated too late and heart muscle function has consequently been impaired, additional medication is required to treat the resulting heart failure (cardiac insufficiency). Ideally, this follow-up care takes place in dedicated rehabilitation centres.

‘Safe Hearts Plan’: tackling the leading cause of death in Europe

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in Europe. Following the example of the “Beating Cancer Plan”, the EU-wide “Safe Hearts Plan” was therefore published in mid-December 2025, with the aim of helping EU countries to place greater emphasis on cardiovascular health and to further improve it.

About IAKW-AG and ESC

IAKW-AG (Internationales Amtssitz- und Konferenzzentrum Wien, Aktiengesellschaft) is responsible for the maintenance of the Vienna International Centre (VIC) and the operation of the Austria Center Vienna. With 21 halls, 134 meeting rooms and around 26,000 m² of exhibition space, the Austria Center Vienna is Austria’s largest congress centre and ranks among the top players in the international congress industry. The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) is the leading professional society, with 58 member countries and over 100,000 members, in the fight against cardiovascular diseases, which remain the leading cause of death worldwide. The ESC Conference is regarded as the largest and most influential cardiovascular conference in the world. Building on the success of the first ESC Council of Cardio-Oncology Conference in 2025, the ESC is organizing this year’s ESC Cardio-Oncology Conference, which will take place from 19 to 20 June at the Austria Center Vienna. The conference brings together leading global experts in cardiology, oncology, haematology, radiotherapy and related disciplines to discuss how to reduce cardiovascular risks in patients with cancer and survivors. Collaboration between these disciplines is a key driver for improving patient outcomes, and the conference serves as a forum to help shape the future of this rapidly evolving field.

https://www.acv.at/de/