Vince
Super Moderator
The blood vessels that feed your heart muscle and brain are called arteries. These arteries carry blood that is the “fuel supply” you need for life. The arteries that feed the heart muscle are called coronary arteries and provide blood to the heart muscle so that it can pump blood. When cholesterol and inflammation build up within the walls of your coronary arteries, it’s called coronary artery disease.A heart attack can occur when a coronary artery becomes blocked and blood can no longer get through to feed the heart muscle. The blockage is caused by a buildup of cholesterol in the wall of the artery (plaque with a large lipid core) that becomes inflamed and then ruptures or breaks open causing a clot to form. It’s similar to having a sore or pimple on the inside of your artery wall. If there is a lot of cholesterol and inflammation in the plaque, the cap on the sore can become very thin and weak (unstable). If the thin cap is damaged and the inflamed sore breaks open, your body tries to repair the damage by forming a clot. The combination of the plaque and clot together can completely close off the coronary artery and cause a sudden heart attack or sudden death. If this process happens in an artery that brings the blood supply to your brain, a stroke can occur. http://www.knowyourrisk.com/
