Coronary plaque rupture is known to be a major cause of sudden coronary death, but it is also commonly seen in non-coronary sudden death, and can be a clinically silent cause of plaque progression.

During the progression of atherosclerosis, development of plaques is initiated by the arterial accumulation and oxidation of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs). This initiates an inflammatory process ...

The condition is “high-risk” plaque, once narrowly defined as plaque built up in the arteries that is likely to rupture, possibly leading to an acute heart attack or sudden cardiac death.

With “plaque rupture” or “plaque erosion,” the thin fibrous cap covering the plaque is disrupted or ulcerated. This exposes the blood flow to tissue factor, activates the clotting cascade ...