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Acute Coronary Syndrome

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) occurs when a plaque inside a coronary artery suddenly ruptures. A blood clot forms and blocks blood flow to the heart muscle, depriving the heart of oxygen-rich blood and causing unstable angina (a type of chest pain) or a heart attack. The amount of time blood flow is blocked and the extent of heart damage determine which type of ACS occurs, but it is always considered a life-threatening condition.

By Healthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer John A. McPherson, MD, FACC, FSCAI - Cardiology
Last Revised May 1, 2010

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: May 01, 2010
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