Causes of Heart Attack

A heart attack is a medical emergency. If you suspect one, call 112 or 102 now. Do not wait to read further.

A heart attack (myocardial infarction) happens when blood flow to part of the heart muscle is suddenly blocked, so that part of the muscle starts to die.

The usual mechanism

Over years, fatty deposits (plaque) build up in the heart arteries, a process called atherosclerosis. When a plaque cracks, a blood clot forms on it and blocks the artery. Less often, an artery goes into spasm or tears (spontaneous coronary artery dissection), or a clot travels from elsewhere.

Risk factors that raise the chance

• High blood pressure
• High LDL ("bad") cholesterol and high triglycerides
• Diabetes and prediabetes
• Smoking and tobacco use, including smokeless tobacco
• Obesity, especially around the waist, and physical inactivity
• Family history of early heart disease, in a father or brother before 55 or a mother or sister before 65
• Age, and being male or, in women, after menopause
• Chronic kidney disease
• Heavy alcohol use
• Chronic stress and poor sleep
• Air pollution, which is an additional risk in many Indian cities
• Use of cocaine or other stimulants

Triggers

Heavy physical exertion in an unfit person, extreme emotional stress, very heavy meals and sudden exposure to cold can trigger an attack in someone with blocked arteries.

Ayurvedic view

Ayurveda discusses heart disease under hridroga. This is an interpretive framework and does not replace modern diagnosis.

Key point

Most heart attacks are the result of years of silent artery disease, so the risk factors can be treated long before an attack.

Before your appointment

Bring all your reports, ECGs and medicine strips, and a list of every medicine and supplement you take, including herbal products. Note when symptoms occurred, what brought them on and how long they lasted. Share your family history of heart disease, and your smoking, alcohol, diabetes and blood pressure history. Ask about cardiac rehabilitation and the warning signs that mean you should call 112 or 102.