Harley Street Health Episode 3: Heart attacks and heart failure – what’s the difference?

All the different terms for heart disease can be really confusing…..heart attacks, heart failure, coronary artery disease…. In this podcast episode, Cardiologist Dr Michael MacDonald discusses the differences. The primary process that leads to a lot of heart disease is called atherosclerosis. Lipid rich plaques form in the walls of the coronary arteries. When these plaques get inflamed, they can rupture, and a clot can form in the coronary artery, stopping blood flow to the heart muscle. This is called a heart attack (or myocardial infarction). This process can cause sudden death and damage to the heart muscle.