Myocardial Infarction
Abstract
This term refers to the death of a certain segment of the heart muscle (myocardium), usually the result of a focal complete blockage in one of the main coronary arteries or a branch thereof.
The main cause of myocardial infarction is atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries. This event results in impaired contractility of the heart muscle within seconds, and is initially restricted to the affected segment.