myocardial infarction
Noun: - A serious medical condition involving the death of heart muscle tissue: This occurs due to a blockage in the blood supply (usually from a blood clot) to a part of the heart. It is commonly known as a heart attack.
The term is used in formal, medical, and clinical contexts to describe the event and diagnosis. - The patient was admitted to the hospital with an acute myocardial infarction. - Smoking is a major risk factor for myocardial infarction.
- "Silent myocardial infarction": A heart attack that occurs with minimal or no recognizable symptoms.
- Elderly patients or those with diabetes are more prone to silent myocardial infarction.
- Infarct (noun): An area of dead tissue caused by a loss of blood supply. A myocardial infarction is an infarct in the heart muscle.
- MI (noun): A common medical abbreviation for myocardial infarction.
- The doctor's notes indicated a history of MI.
- Heart attack: The common, non-technical term.
- Coronary thrombosis: Specifically implies the blockage is caused by a thrombus (clot).
Note: As a precise medical term, "myocardial infarction" is not typically used in idiomatic expressions. The common phrase "heart attack" is used figuratively. - To have a heart attack (idiomatic, figurative): To be very shocked or frightened. - I almost had a heart attack when I saw the bill! (This uses the common term, not "myocardial infarction").
- destruction of heart tissue resulting from obstruction of the blood supply to the heart muscle