How a heart attack happens

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How a heart attack happens

If a plaque inside a blood vessel ruptures, the body tries to repair the tear by forming a blood clot. A heart attack occurs when a clot blocks an artery that supplies oxygen-rich blood to the heart (coronary artery). This damages the heart.

Primary Medical Reviewer	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer	Stephen Fort, MD, MRCP, FRCPC - Interventional Cardiology
Last Updated	May 14, 2007

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: May 14, 2007

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