The coronary arteries supply oxygen to the heart muscle. When an artery is narrowed by atherosclerotic plaque, the blood flow and therefore, oxygen supply to the heart muscle is decreased, causing myocardial ischemia (angina).
If a blood clot or atheroma blocks the artery completely, oxygen is cut off and the area of the heart muscle supplied by the artery can die. This is called a myocardial infarction or “heart attack”.
The structures shown on this illustration are:
the right coronary artery, a blood clot occluding the left anterior descending artery, and a myocardial infarct.
