HOW A FATAL HEART ATTACK HAPPENS - TIM RUSSERT

This 3D animation depicts how Tim Russert's fatal heart attack most likely occurred. It is based on the preliminary autopsy findings released today (6/15/08). Mr. Russert ruptured a "vulnerable" coronary plaque in his left anterior descending coronary artery (also known as the "LAD") which supplies blood to the anterior wall of the left ventricle, the main pumping chamber. The rupture caused immediate formation of a large blood clot (thrombus) which totally obstructed the artery and cut off blood flow to the heart muscle; a "fresh" clot was found in the LAD artery at the autopsy. This precipitated a fatal cardiac arrhythmia, most likely ventricular fibrillation, which was unresponsive to resuscitative efforts. Most heart attacks (myocardial infarctions) are caused by rupture of "vulnerable" plaques that often do not interfere with blood flow or cause symptoms. This may explain why Mr. Russert had no symptoms (such as chest pain) and reportedly had a normal exercise test less than 2 months ago.
For more information about this animation, please contact Dr. Edward Perper at perper@animationmd.com

• Category

  News & Politics

[Geraldo Prado Neto]

Cool vid. But this does not reflects what really happends. People don't just fibrilate at the exact time the plaque ruptures. You gotta have some serious ischemia on ventricle wall first then MAYBE they'll fibrilate. There are lots of other complications that can happend, like ventricular wall rupture, valvar muscle rupture and acute valvar insufficiency, or just a really bad acute congestive heart failure (wich the most patients actually do have). Don't underestimate the public's understanding.

[oem2003]

it's like a nuke in the body

[dncovert]

Studies found that plaques that contain a lot of cholesterol and less cells (less fibrous tissue) - the so called "soft" or unstable plaques - are more likely to rupture and cause a heart attack. The plaques that contain very little cholesterol and more cells are called "hard" or stable plaques and are less likely to rupture and, therefore, less likely to cause a heart attack.

[Kamal Hamid]

LOL it doesn't work that way. First, the rupture takes place at the ends of the plaque not in the middle and once it happens you get a clot forming slowly. When the clot forms, it as a whole or an embolous might break off and occlude a smaller vessel. "IF" it happens that the vessel fuels a very very important/big part of the brain/heart, you may then observe sudden death (which, believe it or not, is a relatively infrequent event).

[Brock Lesnar Fan]

who?

[maryoassyrian2007]

Your right, but what I think it is, its not really what we eat, as much as how much of it do we eat. I'm pretty healthy, but there will be times I go out for fast food. It's just people have to realize you have to make more healthier choices, and get up off the couch for once. And stop smoking.

[Spyro20121]

OH SHIT! 0:17

[EliteGhost645]

Or Domino's Pizza.

[maryoassyrian2007]

Or Chipotle.

[goodman charles]

Eat fruits and veggies you will be healther than a horse

[Leozardo Cat]

OH MY GLOB 0_0

[pardyhardly]

Well that was cheerful.