The Disease Progression
After the initial endothelial damage, the damaged area progresses and the body reacts and attempts to repair the damage with specialized cells that do repair throughout the body. Eventually the area becomes repaired but a small blockage occurs where platelets and excess cholesterol tends to stick.
Over time, the progression continues with the above process occurring again and again in the same area resulting in a larger placque. sometimes this placque is thick and fibrous, other times the placgue has a fibrous cap with a fatty liquid core. When the fibrous cap thins, the placque is considered a"vulnerable placque". Vulnerable placque is very dangerous and if it ruptures causes a myocardial infartion (also known as a heat attack). What happens when the placque ruptures the liquid core mixes with the blood and forms a clot which blocks blood flow downstream to the rest of the hear muscle. When bloodflow is cut off, the heart muscle begins to die with the blood that carries the oxygen, resulting in heart damage and possible death.
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