What is a heart attack?
The heart is a muscle that
works 24 hours a day, pumping blood throughout the body.
Blood is supplied to the heart by its coronary arteries
and carries with it the essential oxygen and nutrients needed
by the body.
When plaques, or fatty substances build up inside the walls
of arteries supplying the heart with blood, the flow of
blood becomes impeded. When too little blood reaches the
heart we have a condition called Ischemia.
Chest pain or Angina may then
offur.
If unchecked, the build-up of plaques can build can lead
to a complete blockage. The heart is then starved
of oxygen and a heart attack then follows. |
