Heart attacks result from blood vessel disease in the heart.
A heart attack, or myocardial infarction, occurs when the blood supply to part of the heart muscle itself is severely reduced or stopped. This occurs when one of the arteries that supplies blood to the heart muscle is blocked by an obstruction, such as a blood clot, that has formed on plaque due to atherosclerosis. If the blood supply is cut off drastically for a long time, heart muscle cells suffer irreversible injury and die. Disability or death can result, depending on how much heart muscle is damaged. Pain spreading to the shoulders, neck, or arms Chest discomfort with lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea, or shortness of breath Not all of these symptoms occur in every attack.