Coronary Spasm

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WHAT IS THE HEART ATTACK GERM?

HOW CAN I PROTECT MYSELF FROM THE HEART ATTACK GERM?

THIS JUST IN . . .

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 3

Spasm is defined as the sudden, involuntary contraction of a muscle or group of muscles.

Arteries are susceptible to spasm because they are, essentially, long tubes of muscle. And muscles, in general, do one of two things -- they either relax or contract. That’s their job!

The same is true for coronary arteries -- they relax and contract depending on the needs of your heart. When your heart requires an increased supply of blood (for example, during exercise), the coronary arteries relax and open up allowing more blood to flow. As the illustration shows, blood flows easily through an artery when it's in a normal, relaxed state.

Sometimes, however, arteries fail to regulate the flow of blood properly. For example, when arteries are diseased by atherosclerosis, they are much more likely to suffer episodes of spasm during moments of stress, contracting tightly and greatly reducing the supply of blood. This reduced blood flow can create cardiovascular symptoms such as angina and Transient Ischemic Attacks.

As the drawing above illustrates, beyond the narrowing caused by spasm there's a squirting action in the blood, creating little swirls and whirlpools. This squirting fluid can damage the lining of the artery, promoting atherosclerosis, or it can dislodge chunks of cholesterol plaque, creating an occlusion that will lead to a stroke or heart attack.

For a full discussion of the causes and hazards of artery spasm, and how your can protect yourself from spasm, read The Heart Attack Germ or continue forward to Part 4 - Blood Clots.

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
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