Heart Attacks

All of the body’s tissues require oxygen to survive. Oxygen is taken in by the lungs and carried throughout the bloodstream. Heart attacks occur when the blood supply to part of the heart muscle is either severely restricted or stopped entirely. Over 90% of the time, a blood clot in a large blood vessel known as a coronary artery causes the blockage of blood flow to the heart. This is most often caused by plaque (a combination of cholesterol and other materials) that has built up on the side of the arteries, breaking free to form the blood clot. Many factors put us at increased risk for plaque build-up (atherosclerosis) and subsequent heart attack.