What it means
سکته قلبی (sekte-ye qalbi) means a heart attack, or in clinical terms a myocardial infarction. Both components are Arabic in origin: سکته (sekte) means a sudden stoppage or arrest, and قلب (qalb) is the Arabic word for heart, which Persian borrowed and uses in formal and medical registers alongside the native Persian دل (del). The relational adjective قلبی (qalbi) means cardiac or heart-related. You will also hear حمله قلبی (hamle-ye qalbi), meaning cardiac attack, used as a near-synonym in everyday speech. The contrast with سکته مغزی (sekte-ye maghzi) is important: that term refers to a brain stroke.
How to use it
- پدربزرگم پنج سال پیش سکته قلبی داشت. (pedarbozorgam panj sâl pish sekte-ye qalbi dâsht.) “My grandfather had a heart attack five years ago.”
- دردِ قفسه سینه میتونه نشانه سکته قلبی باشه. (dard-e qafese-ye sine mitune neshâne-ye sekte-ye qalbi bâshe.) “Chest pain can be a sign of a heart attack.”
- بعد از سکته قلبی، رژیم غذاییش رو عوض کرد. (bad az sekte-ye qalbi, rezh-im-e ghazâi-yash ro avaz kard.) “After the heart attack, he changed his diet.”
- استرس زیاد خطر سکته قلبی رو بالا میبره. (estres-e ziâd khatar-e sekte-ye qalbi ro bâlâ mibare.) “Excessive stress raises the risk of a heart attack.”
Cultural note
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Iran, accounting for roughly a third of all deaths according to Ministry of Health statistics. Lifestyle factors including high-fat traditional cooking oils, sedentary urban life, and high rates of smoking contribute to the burden. Iranian cardiologists and public health campaigns have placed increasing emphasis on diet, exercise, and stress management, with the phrase قلب سالم (qalb-e sâlem), meaning healthy heart, appearing in widespread public messaging.