What Causes a Heart Attack

An enormous number of heart attacks come about as the result of Atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a disease that is notable for the progressive accumulation of plaque in the arterial walls. As time passes, this make up will induce hardening of the arterial walls which will ultimately lessen the room available for blood to flow through the arteries. Consequently, the blood flow will be limited as the disease worsens. This will then lead to the reduced functioning of the organ that is affected and the circulatory system in entirety. If atherosclerosis manifests in the legs the reduction of blood flow will normally cause leg pains when walking or exercising, leg ulcers, or a noticeable decline in the ability for wounds to heal in that region. If atherosclerosis manifests in the arteries that supply blood to the brain this may lead to vascular dementia which is mental degeneration as a result of prolonged death of the brain tissue over the course of a few years. In some scenarios it may lead to a stroke.

Atherosclerosis may be asymptomatic for many years for some persons with this condition. The disease can develop as early as the teenage/adolescent years, but the associated symptoms or health issues typically do not present themselves until later in adulthood when the constriction of the arteries have greatly intensified. Specific risk factors such as smoking cigarettes, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and diabetes mellitus can worsen atherosclerosis and encourage the symptoms to be displayedsooner. Complications may arise, especially in individuals who have a family history of developing atherosclerosis earlier in life.

Coronary atherosclerosis or as it is also known coronary artery disease defines atherosclerosis that occurs within the arteries of the heart which results in the hardening and narrowing of these arteries. Diseases that are promoted by the reduced blood supply to the cardiac muscle from coronary atherosclerosis are called coronary heart diseases or CHD. Coronary heart diseases are inclusive of heart attacks, heart failure as a result of the degeneration of the heart muscle, cardiac arrest, chest pain or angina, and irregular heart rhythms.

In some instances, the surface of cholesterol plaque in the coronary artery may explode, and create a blood clot. The clot will block the flow of blood entering the artery and cause an inevitable heart attack. The exact reason for the unforeseen rupture that becomes a clot has not been discerned. Some likely factors will include cigarette smoking or other types of nicotine exposure, hypertension, elevated LDL cholesterol levels, higher than normal levels of blood catecholamines (adrenaline), among others.

An estimated 50% of patients who experience heart attacks develop some warning signs which include angina from exertion or from resting, before they are affected by a heart attack. Sadly, these symptoms may appear to be too insubstantial to be deemed life threatening.

Therefore, it is vital to seek medical attention for any of the following symptoms that may signal a heart condition including chest pain most commonly angina pectoris, difficulty breathing, extreme tiredness, jaw pain and upper back pain. Prompt treatment of a heart attack will greatly improve the outcome.