Heart attack is the leading cause of death in America. Approximately 500,000 individuals die from myocardial infarctions yearly.
Heart attacks result from blood vessel disease in the heart.
Infarction occurs as the blood supply to an area becomes totally blocked, usually as a result of coronary artery disease. If the blood supply is cut off drastically or for a long time, muscle cells suffer irreversible injury and die. Disability or death can result, depending on how much heart muscle is damaged. The diagnosis of myocardial infarction is usually made by the presence of severe chest pain, characteristic electrocardiographic changes, and elevated cardiac enzymes. Sometimes a coronary artery temporarily contracts or goes into spasm.