The heart pumps oxygen and nutrient-rich blood around the body
With chronic heart disease, plaques or fatty substances build up inside the walls of the arteries
The fatty build-up can lead to a blood clot reducing the flow of blood. This causes the arteries to narrow
When too little blood reaches the heart, the condition is called ischemia
Chest pain, or angina, may occur
If a blood clot suddenly cuts off the blood supply to the heart, then a heart attack results
Cells in the heart muscle that do not receive enough blood begin to die
The more time that passes without treatment to restore blood flow, the greater the damage to the heart
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