Strokes and Heart Attacks

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WHAT IS THE HEART ATTACK GERM?

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A SHORT COURSE IN STROKES AND HEART ATTACKS

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New Research Links
Inflammation to Risk Factors

For many years, doctors knew that certain risk factors -- high blood pressure (hypertension), diabetes, cholesterol levels (HDL and LDL), smoking and obesity -- increased the probability of a stroke or heart attack...but they were uncertain exactly why. Now they know that inflammation is the key ingredient.

In the coming years, you will hear much more about the effect that inflammation has on the risk of stroke and heart attack. You'll also hear about the new inflammatory risk factors of C-Reactive Protein and fibrinogen. But there's no need to wait! Read The Heart Attack Germ now and learn how you can lower your risk of stroke and heart attack by detecting and reducing inflammation in your arteries!

A SHORT COURSE IN
STROKES AND HEART ATTACKS

Part 1 Strokes and Heart Attacks	Part 2 Inflammation, Germs and Atherosclerosis	Part 3 Spasm
Part 4 Blood Clots	Part 5 Stress	Part 6 Inflammation, Strokes and Alzheimer's
Part 1 Stokes and Heart Attacks

HEART ATTACK Animated GIF of Blood Clot in Coronary Artery

The heart is a strong, active muscle which needs a constant supply of blood to nourish the muscle and keep it beating. Blood flow to the heart is supplied by the coronary arteries.

A heart attack occurs when the flow of blood through a coronary artery becomes severely reduced or stopped altogether. The loss of blood damages the heart, chiefly by cutting off oxygen to the heart muscle. The blood supply can be reduced by coronary spasm, the build-up of cholesterol plaque inside the artery (called atherosclerosis), or from blood clots, which arise from the rupture of cholesterol plaque.

The illustration above shows a blood clot obstructing the flow of blood through a coronary artery. If the obstruction lasts a long time, portions of the heart muscle nourished by the artery will die. This weakens the heart's ability to pump blood to the rest of the body, a condition called heart failure. If the damage is great enough, nerve fibers in the heart—which tell the heart when and how to beat—will also die. If too many nerve fibers die, the heart will stop beating, resulting in cardiac arrest and the death of the victim.

STROKE

Just like the heart, the brain also needs a steady supply of blood to function properly. There are four main blood supplies to the brain—two carotid arteries and two vertebral arteries. A stroke (or brain attack) occurs when blood flow is severely reduced or stopped due to obstructions from spasm, cholesterol plaques or blood clots. Animated GIF of Blood Clot in Brain

The illustration on the right shows a blood clot obstructing the flow of blood to the brain, causing damage to brain tissue. Many different kinds of neurologic symptoms can result from brain attacks, depending on the site and length of the attack. Short-lived attacks are called Transient Ischemic Attacks or mini-strokes. Attacks that last more than an hour and produce permanent disabilities are simply called strokes. And strokes that provoke no immediate symptoms are called silent strokes.

For a full discussion on the cause and prevention of strokes and heart attacks, read The Heart Attack Germ or continue forward to Part 2 - Inflammation and Atherosclerosis.

Part 1 Strokes and Heart Attacks	Part 2 Inflammation, Germs and Atherosclerosis	Part 3 Spasm
Part 4 Blood Clots	Part 5 Stress	Part 6 Inflammation, Strokes and Alzheimer's
HOME	WHAT IS THE HEART ATTACK GERM?	THIS JUST IN . . .