Like all other tissues in the body, the heart muscle needs oxygen-rich blood to function. The coronary arteries, which are wrapped around the heart, fill that need. In some conditions, fat can build up along the walls of the coronary arteries, reducing the supply of oxygen to the heart muscle.
This build-up is called atherosclerosis. The 3 major risk factors of atherosclerosis are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking. This plaque can tear, causing the body's emergency repair system to rally.
Blood components called platelets stick to the fat that is now exposed by the tear, forming a clot. The clot can completely block the blood supply downstream to the heart. Within a few minutes, muscle cells in the heart begin to die; this is a heart attack.
The heart keeps beating but starts to lose its normal rhythm. If a larger part of the heart is affected, it can stop beating entirely; this is called a cardiac arrest. Despite common misconceptions, a guy grabbing his chest and falling to the ground is not the typical presentation of a heart attack.
Some people do experience the classic “Hollywood heart attack”, but the truth is, the symptoms of a heart attack can be much more subtle. Many heart attacks begin with only mild discomfort in the chest that intensifies over time. Other symptoms include pain in one or both arms, the neck, or the abdomen.
Shortness of breath may accompany the pain, along with unexplained sweating. Time is critical in treating a heart attack; the condition can be totally reversible if diagnosed and treated early. Irreversible damage begins within 30 minutes of blockage, and half of deaths occur in the first 4 hours after symptoms begin.
Doctors can perform an angioplasty to reopen the artery. Please watch my next video to learn more about this procedure.
