How does plaque build-up in the heart prodcue a thrombosis, cardiac ischemia, and a heart attack?
The plaque impedes local blood flow in a coronary artery or one of its branches, leading to clot formation. The developing clot further impedes blood flow which reduces oxygen perfusion of heart muscle tissue (ischemia), and when the clot enlarges to completely obstruct the artery lumen, blood supply to the affected area of heart muscle tissue ceases, and the affected muscle tissue dies (myocardial infarction), which constitutes a heart attack.
