Heart Attack

A heart attack is when the heart is damaged by a sudden lack of blood flow to the heart muscle. This happens because the arteries to the heart muscle become narrowed or blocked. Nicotine in cigarette smoke causes blood vessels to become narrow, reducing the oxygen supply to the heart muscle. This may be why smokers are more likely to have a heart attack than nonsmokers. Many heart attack victims die before they reach the hospital. This means if you smoke and have a heart attack, you’ll probably quit smoking - one way or another.

SPECIMEN 1: Weak, Diseased Heart - This is a heart with muscle disease. It looks larger than a healthy heart, but a heart like this cannot pump blood properly.

SPECIMEN 2: Normal Heart - This is a normal heart. It has a complex grouping of muscles that work together to pump blood throughout your body.

SPECIMEN 3: Blocked Heart Artery - This is an artery to the heart. The artery is blocked by a blood clot.

SPECIMEN 4: Burst Heart - The arrow is where the heart wall burst. Could cigarettes have caused this broken heart?

SPECIMEN 5: Bleeding Heart - This heart has been cut open. Note the area of bleeding in the lower right section.