Heart Attack Facts

Heart Attack Overview

When the blood supply to the heart is restricted, a heart attack (also called myocardial infarction) may occur. A blood clot or low blood pressure are some of the possible causes for the restriction of blood flow.

Symptoms of a heart attack may include pain in the left arm, chest, neck, jaw or back; although some heart attack victims have reported other symptoms or none at all.

Heart Problems Overview

The heart is a four-chambered muscle centered in the chest, with the primary purpose of pumping oxygen-rich blood to all areas of the body. It also carries carbon dioxide, a waste product, to the lungs to be released from the body.

Heart problems may be caused by factors such as genetic disposition, poor diet, alcohol or tobacco use, and others. Some prescription or over-the-counter drug use can also cause heart issues.

Ortho Evra May Increase Heart Attack Risk

The Ortho Evra birth control patch has been linked to a number of serious cardiovascular events, including heart attacks. The clots many women have experienced as a result of the significantly high estrogen exposure (up to 60% more than with birth control pills) associated with Ortho Evra have caused heart attacks in some cases.

Ortho Evra heart attack lawyers throughout the U.S. are filing lawsuits on behalf of women against maker, Ortho McNeil, a Johnson & Johnson company. In 2005 the company issued a warning to the millions of women who use Ortho Evra, that the patch may put them at a higher risk of heart attack, stroke or blood clot than regular birth control pills.

Among the more than 4 million women who have used Ortho Evra since its 2001 debut, many are complaining that the drug maker did not educate doctors or patients about the severe risks associated with patch use. There have been a number of deaths, strokes, heart attacks, blood clots and pulmonary embolisms among Ortho Evra users over the years. FDA data reports that more than 12 women between the ages of 17 and 30 using the Ortho Evra birth control patch have suffered fatal heart attacks, strokes or blood clots.

Though many women around the world were lured by Ortho Evra ads featuring super model Naomi Campbell, today these women want answers. They want to know why Ortho McNeil didn't publicize the high estrogen exposure or increased risks that went along with putting the patch on their skin.