Diseases of the coronary arteries that supply oxygen and nutrients to the heart is the most common heart ailment. Coronary heart disease is characterised by an atheroma, a fatty deposit of cholesterol beneath the inner lining of the artery. The atheroma obstructs the passage of blood thereby reducing the flow of nourishment to the heart muscle. It also sets up conditions for a blood clot in the coronary artery. There are a number of contributing factors to heart disease.
Platelets are small cells in the blood responsible for blood clotting.
They have the ability to clump together to form a clot at the site of a wound. They can also stick to the side of blood vessels that have been damaged by arteriosclerosis, a thickening of the arterial wall. When the flow of blood to the heart is restricted by these lipid deposits and platelet clumps, a heart attack can occur. A similar process to the brain is called a stroke. This is because these substances are made in the first place by phytoplankton - the tiny aquatic plants that serve as food for small fish and produce oxygen for the atmosphere.