Heart Attack, also known as “Myocardial Infarction”, is simply the death of a part of the heart muscle. Human heart, is a muscular organ that pumps blood all over the body, in order to supply oxygen and nutrients to the other tissues and organs. To do so, heart also needs a constant blood supply to receive adequate amounts of oxygen & nutrients. Heart is supplied by the first pair of arteries to originate from the aorta, called Coronary arteries. Left and right coronary arteries branch out and wrap around the heart muscle to form an arterial network. But in some people, these coronary arteries or their main branches get narrowed or blocked due to several reasons, leading to reduced, or complete loss of blood supply to the area supplied by that particular artery. This will ultimately cause death of the affected area of the heart muscle. This is actually what happens during a heart attack.
Heart attack and its closely related similar heart conditions are collectively known as ischemic heart disease. And it is the leading cause of death around the world. Although it can occur at any age, the frequency rises with increasing age. And men are at a higher risk than women. Several risk factors are associated with the pathogenesis of heart attack. Some of them are modifiable, and some of them are non-modifiable. These include, Sedentary lifestyle, Obesity, Smoking, Diabetes, Advancing age, High blood pressure, and Inflammation.
The most common cause of heart attack is coronary artery atherosclerosis. It is a condition characterized by the deposition of lipid plaques within the inner layer of coronary arteries, causing an impairment of the blood flow to the heart muscle. Plaque formation does not occur within a day or two. It is a slow process that takes years, and sometimes, decades. In addition to reducing the flow of blood to the heart muscle, these plaques also cause a turbulence in the blood flow. Due to this, the inner lining of coronary arteries, called the endothelium get damaged. When the endothelium is damaged, blood clotting process will become activated and ultimately, a blood clot is formed above the atherosclerotic plaque. This will lead to severe, or complete blockage of that artery, and the area of heart muscle supplied by that artery will die.
In addition to atherosclerosis, some uncommon causes of heart attack include, increased demand of the heart muscle, especially in cardiac hypertrophy, Diminished blood flow due to reduced blood volume, such as in conditions like severe bleeding, Diminished oxygenation, such as in conditions like pneumonia, and Diminished oxygen carrying capacity of blood, such as in carbon monoxide poisoning.
Regardless of the cause, when the heart muscle undergoes death, a severe type of pain is felt at the middle of the chest, as if someone is stabbing, or squeezing on the chest area. This pain often radiates up to the neck, shoulder, jaw, and down the left arm, and typically persists more than 30 minutes. Other associated symptoms include nausea and vomiting, profuse sweating, and increased breathing.
Once a part of the heart muscle dies, it is no longer capable of contracting. So, the function of the heart muscle will be reduced. If the infarcted area is larger, the heart may not be able to pump out blood at all, and the patient will die.

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