Pathology of ischemic heart disease

Abstract

Ischemic heart disease is a broad term encompassing several closely related syndromes caused by myocardial ischemia, an imbalance between cardiac blood supply perfusion and myocardial oxygen and nutritional requirements. Responsible for seven million deaths worldwide each year, ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and other developed countries. It is most often caused by thrombotic occlusion of a high-risk coronary plaque that leads to myocardial infarction or cardiac death or embolization from a high-risk coronary plaque. This chapter focuses on coronary atherosclerosis, acute myocardial infarction, and left ventricular failure and healed myocardial infarction. It includes detailed descriptions of the various disease processes and clinical manifestations, results from and implications based on numerous research studies, and treatment options and expected outcomes.