Extremes of temperature are also associated.A number of acute and chronic infections including Chlamydophila pneumoniae, influenza, Helicobacter pylori, and Porphyromonas gingivalis among others have been linked to atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction. As of 2013, there is no evidence of benefit from antibiotics or vaccination, however, calling the association into question. Myocardial infarction can also occur as a late consequence of Kawasaki disease.Calcium deposits in the coronary arteries can be detected with CT scans. Calcium seen in coronary arteries can provide predictive information beyond that of classical risk factors. High blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine is associated with premature atherosclerosis; whether elevated homocysteine in the normal range is causal is controversial.In people without evident coronary artery disease, possible causes for the myocardial infarction are coronary spasm or coronary artery dissection. Mechanism
Atherosclerosis
The most common cause of a myocardial infarction is the rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque on an artery supplying heart muscle. Plaques can become unstable, rupture, and additionally promote the formation of a blood clot that blocks the artery; this can occur in minutes. Blockage of an artery can lead to tissue death in tissue being supplied by that artery. Atherosclerotic plaques are often present for decades before they result in symptoms.The gradual buildup of cholesterol and fibrous tissue in plaques in the wall of the coronary arteries or other arteries, typically over decades, is termed atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is characterized by progressive inflammation of the walls of the arteries. Inflammatory cells, particularly macrophages, move into affected arterial walls.
Society and culture
Legal status
In November 2021, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) adopted a positive opinion, recommending the granting of a marketing authorization under exceptional circumstances for the medicinal product Voraxaze, intended to reduce toxic plasma methotrexate concentration. The applicant for this medicinal product is SERB SAS. Glucarpidase was approved for medical use in the European Union in January 2022. References
External links
"Glucarpidase". Drug Information Portal. U.S. National Library of Medicine.