What Is A Heart Attack And What Are The Causes?

Dr. Bijoy Khandheria answers the question: 'What Is A Heart Attack, Causes?'

By
Bijoy Khandheria, M.D., Chairman, Cardiovascular Diseases; Professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic
November 12, 2008, 2:10 PM ET
1 min read

— -- Question: What is a heart attack and what are the causes?

Answer: Heart attack is a condition where the heart muscle does not get enough oxygen and then stops functioning and dies. The most common cause of heart attack is the rupture of the inner lining -- or the tear of the inner lining -- of the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart muscle. And when that tear happens, blood clot forms, and blood clot then blocks this whole highway, or the blood vessel, and there is no blood that is supplied then to the heart muscle. And the heart muscle stops working, and eventually the heart muscle dies. And that is the most, most common cause of heart attacks.

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