Question 27 of 433
What actually causes a heart attack?
The short answer
Cholesterol-carrying particles get into the artery wall, the wall becomes inflamed, plaque builds for decades, and one day a plaque cracks and a clot forms.
Three things drive the process: how many of those particles you have, how long you have had them, and how irritated your arteries are by blood pressure, smoking, high blood sugar, and inflammation.
Notice the word “decades.” A heart attack is the last five minutes of a thirty-year story. Every chapter of that story is a chance to change the ending.
“This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship.” From the book’s medical disclaimer. Full disclaimer
ESTABLISHED BIOLOGY — Atherosclerotic heart attacks; other mechanisms also exist.Evidence grade (draft mapping)EEstablished clinical knowledgePart 3, Q27 · Part sources
From Longevity Unmasked by Afshine Ash Emrani, MD, FACC. Medical disclaimer. This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship. Nothing here is meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Medicine is personal: a test, drug, supplement, or exercise plan that helps one person can harm another. Do not start, stop, or change any medication or treatment because of something you read in these pages. Talk with a licensed clinician who knows your history first. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911. The author disclaims responsibility for any loss or harm arising from use of the information in this book.