Atherosclerosis is a a pathological process, which is defined as a focal, inflammatory fibro-proliferative response to multiple forms of endothelial injury. 2 Simply put, it is the coronary plaque that builds up on the walls of blood vessels and decreases or prevents blood flow to sites distal to the blockage. This process is usually manifest in the form of a heart attack. If a heart attack is severe enough, it can lead to death of the individual. Sudden cardiac death is frequently unexpected, is often unwitnessed, and usually occurs outside the hospital.
Many times there are signs and symptoms associated with myocardial infarction.
A patient may have pain that ranges from mild to severe and crushing. This pain may last for several hours. Other symptoms are dyspnea, syncope, a cold sweat, pallor or nausea. The most severe sign is sudden death. Because the effects of coronary atherosclerosis can be severe, we are continuously looking for risk factors associated with the disease.