Key terms of this topic
Heart attack: an emergency in which blood flow to the heart tissues is suddenly reduced or blocked
Myocardial infarction: another name for a heart attack
Coronary artery: the artery that supplies pure blood to the heart
Plaque: fat or cholesterol deposited on the inner wall of an artery
Thrombus: a blood clot formed when plaque breaks; plural thrombi
Hypertension: blood pressure that stays high for a long time
Angiography: a fluoroscopy X-ray that tests for blockages in blood vessels
Contrast medium: a special dye that shows blood flow on an X-ray
Angiogram: the X-ray image formed in angiography
Catheter: a long, thin, flexible tube passed through a blood vessel
Stent: a small metal mesh tube that keeps an artery open
Bypass graft: a healthy blood vessel that makes a new pathway around a blocked artery