Also known as myocardial
infarction, cardiac infarction or coronary thrombosis, heart attack occurs when
the heart muscle does not have enough blood supply. This depleted supply of
blood is usually due to a blood clot in any of the blood vessels that lead to
the coronary arteries (blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart
muscle).
During a heart attack, the
patient may suffer from chest pain and chest pressure sensation. If blood flow
is not restored to the heart muscle within a span of 20-40 minutes, the death
of the heart muscle will be irreversible. Here are the three major causes of
heart attack.
Coronary Artery Disease
Most heart attacks are caused due
to coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD refers to the building up of a fatty
substance called plaque on the inner walls of the coronary arteries. With
increase in plaque, the artery walls thicken while the arteries become narrow.
This process is called atherosclerosis. The accumulating plaque can either
completely block the coronary artery or can rupture to form a blood clot. These
will ultimately amount to a heart attack.
Coronary Microvascular Disease
Coronary microvascular disease
(MVD) occurs when rather than the larger coronary arteries, the heart’s microscopic
blood vessels are affected. This can be caused by building up of plaque in
these tiny arteries, spasms in the arteries or damage to artery walls. Coronary
MVD is believed to be more common in women as compared to men.
Coronary Artery Spasm
A coronary artery spasm occurs
when a severe spasm or contraction of the muscle occurs in the wall of one of
the coronary arteries. This can restrict or block the flow of blood to the
heart. This is usually a rare cause of heart attack.
Given below are some of the causative
factors of CAD, MVD and Coronary Artery Spasm:
Age – With increase in age, the risk of having a heart
attack rises. For men, the age after which they should be careful is 45, while
for women it is 55.
Diabetes – Diabetics are more prone to
have heart diseases.
Smoking – Regular and heavy smokers run
a higher risk of a heart attack compared to non-smokers and those who quit.
Cholesterol level – People with high
blood cholesterol levels have a higher risk of developing blood clots in the
coronary arteries.
Diet and obesity – Consumption of
large quantities of saturated fat and animal fat on a regular basis leads to
increase in cholesterol level which in turn leads to a heart attack.
Physical inactivity – A sedentary life
without much exercise may lead to various heart problems.
Hypertension – People with high
blood pressure are more prone to heart attacks.
Heredity – A person with a strong family
history of heart disease is more prone to a heart attack. There is ample
evidence to prove that this is true.
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