A myocardial infarction (also known as a heart attack) is a possibly deadly condition caused by a lack of blood flow to the heart muscle. Blood flow abnormalities can be affected by various factors, but the most common reason is a blockage in one or more of your heart’s arteries. Blood supply to a section of your heart ceases or drops significantly, causing that area of your heart muscle to die. When a section of your heart can’t pump due to lack of blood flow, it might disrupt the entire heart’s pumping sequence. Blood flow to the rest of your body is reduced or may even block, as a result, which can be fatal. The majority of heart attacks are caused by a blockage in one of your heart’s blood arteries. This is most commonly caused by plaque, a sticky material that can accumulate on the insides of your arteries (similar to how pouring grease down your kitchen sink can clog your home plumbing). This build up is known as atherosclerosis. Plaque deposits inside the coronary (heart) arteries can sometimes split open or rupture, causing a blood clot to become lodged where the rupture occurred. If the clot stops the artery, the heart muscle will be deprived of blood, resulting in a heart attack.
