A thrombus is a clot that can be made up of blood, cholesterol, and other material that forms in a part of the body and stays there (as opposed to an embolus, which migrates through the bloodstream).
Thrombosis occurs when a thrombus creates a blockage in an artery, and in the case of a coronary thrombosis it's one of the coronary arteries that's blocked.
Since the coronary arteries supply blood to the heart. if the blockage is not cleared up the heart will be starved of oxygen, causing the death of heart muscle—what's known as a myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack.
Russert's internist has explained that cholesterol plaque had ruptured in an artery, causing sudden coronary thrombosis. He also said that an autopsy showed that Russert had an enlarged heart, according to NBC. And the doctor said that Russert had been diagnosed with asymptomatic coronary artery disease, and was taking medication and engaging in exercise to control it.
Source: By Healthy Insite http://healthyinsite.blogspot.com/
Los Angeles Times covering Tim Russert's sudden heart attack says it's very scary that "over a million people -- have sudden heart attacks every year, often without warnings or symptoms, in the U.S. And how many die: about a third."
A very interesting comment from that article states the following:
"I have practiced emergency medicine for 25 years and am board certified in both emergency medicine and preventive medicine.
I suspect no one in my profession is surprised ( although I am saddened) by Tim's sudden death...
Actually the first sign of heart disease in upto 50% of the cases is sudden death. If you are not allergic to aspirin and have clearance to taken a small dose every day, people over 50 should be taking one every day.. that alone can cut the sudden death from a heart attack by 50%- add a statin drug to the daily routine along with a 30 min walk or stationary bike ride each AM will cut sudden death even further.
Albert Schweitzer noted that each of us has a doctor inside of us.
It is up to each of us to make sure that we do all that we can to avoid the easy ways to die. I'll miss Tim terribly.. He was one of a kind..
Dr Pitts"
