Myocardial infarction (MI)

Myocardial infarction (MI) is the name for a heart attack, which occurs when there is a sudden and complete blockage of the flow of blood to a section of the heart muscle (Myocardial 1325). MIs can occur at any time, and they occur without warning. With age, the coronary arteries become narrowed because of a build up of plaque along the walls, leading to a condition known as arteriosclerosis. This means the blood flow through the vessels is lowered, and the blood supply to the muscle of the heart is lowered, leaving it with a lowered oxygen supply. As the coronary arteries (the arteries which supply blood to the muscle of the heart) become narrower, it is easier for them to become blocked by a blood clot, and this can cause an MI.

A heart attack occurs because the heart needs more oxygen than is being supplied by the coronary arteries (Myocardial 1326). It is often brought on by vigorous exercise or activity. MI can be caused by an intracoronary thrombus (blood clot), and a thrombus overlying an area of plaque is the cause of 90 percent of acute MIs (Platt). It can also be caused by a vasospasm , which can occur with or without the presence of arteriosclerosis and with or without platelet aggregation. An embolus can also cause an MI. An embolus can occur because of left-sided mural thrombosis, a paradoxic embolus from the right side of the heart, or from vegetative endocarditis.

When an MI occurs, part of the heart is deprived of blood and oxygen, and the mu

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