Why does the gradual buildup of fatty plaque suddenly cause a heart attack?
Sometimes, the plaques that have built up in the arteries break off and cause a blockage. Plaque rupture occurs when the thin covering over the fat deposit is torn – similar to the popping of a pimple. Stress or heavy exertion can rupture a plaque. The body sees this burst plaque and, in the same way it would heal a cut finger, tries to repair the damage by forming a blood clot. This blood clot may block off the already narrow artery (coronary thrombus) causing a heart attack, or a piece of the clot may break away (embolus) and lodge in a different artery (causing an embolism). For example, if the embolus blocks an artery in the brain, this causes a stroke. Plaques that lack a fatty center may also become disrupted, a process known as plaque erosion. It is not fully understood why or how these plaques begin to erode, but it occurs more frequently in women than in men. Smokers are also at greater risk for plaque erosion. Diagnostic tests can see how much fatty plaque buildup there is in
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