A heart attack or acute myocardial infarction (MI) occurs when one of the arteries that supplies the heart

muscle becomes blocked. Blockage may be caused by spasm of the artery or by atherosclerosis with acute clot formation. The blockage results in damaged tissue and a permanent loss of contraction of this portion of the heart muscle.

Electron-beam computed tomography (EBCT) is a fast, highly sensitive, and noninvasive technique for detecting calcium build-up in coronary arteries. It uses an electron gun instead of a regular x-ray to scan the chest. The degree of calcium build-up in coronary arteries is an accurate measure of the degree of atherosclerosis , a narrowing and hardening of the arteries that can lead to heart attack , stroke , and other serious conditions. Varying Degrees of Atherosclerosis in Coronary Arteries

EBCT is useful in screening people for coronary heart disease (CHD) and cardiac events in their earliest stages, before symptoms (such as chest pain) actually arise. This is important because as many as half of all first coronary events, including sudden cardiac arrest and heart attack, occur in people with no symptoms of heart disease. EBCT technology is limited because it is relatively new and still undergoing evaluation. Some insurers do not cover the procedure.

Heart attack
A heart attack is when blood vessels that supply blood to the heart are blocked, preventing enough oxygen from getting to the heart. The heart muscle dies or becomes permanently damaged. Your doctor calls this a myocardial infarction.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Most heart attacks are caused by a blood clot that blocks one of the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries bring blood and oxygen to the heart. If the blood flow is blocked, the heart starves for oxygen and heart cells die. In atherosclerosis, plaque builds up in the walls of your coronary arteries. This plaque is made up of cholesterol and other cells. A heart attack can occur as a result of the following:

The slow buildup of plaque may almost block one of your coronary arteries. A heart attack may occur if not enough oxygen-containing blood can flow through this blockage. This is more likely to happen when you are exercising. The plaque itself develops cracks (fissures) or tears. Blood platelets stick to these tears and form a blood clot (thrombus). A heart attack can occur if this blood clot completely blocks the passage of oxygen-rich blood to the heart. This is the most common cause.