The occlusion of a coronary artery is often associated with atherosclerosis. Less often, coronary vessels may be occluded by fat globules, tumor emboli or clot emboli from other parts of the body, though this usually occurs at sites of pre-existing stenosis. The spasm of a coronary artery can also occur producing the same results.
Atherosclerosis is a disease caused by faulty or incomplete lipid metabolism.
The body fails to metabolize fats normally, thus cholesterol, phospholipid and neutral fat are deposited on the walls of arteries. This process can occur in any artery.