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The heart is a muscle, and like all muscles, it needs oxygen to survive. When the blood flow that brings this oxygen to the heart is severely reduced or cut off completely, this causes a heart attack. The blood circulation to the heart is slowed or stopped because of fat, cholesterol, and other substances in the arteries. Together, these substances are called plaque. The process of plaque forming and hardening the arteries is called atherosclerosis. When a piece of plaque breaks off in the arteries, blood clots may form. The narrowed arteries and the blood clots prevent blood from flowing through the heart. The heart is then starved of oxygen and nutrients, and this is called ischemia. This in turn causes damage or death to parts of the heart. The American Heart Association says that every 34 seconds, someone in the US has a heart attack.

To prevent a heart attack, you would need to lower your heart attack risk from narrow arteries, being overweight or having high blood pressure.

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