These test are effective in showing the slow chronic built-up of plaque in your arteries that eventually cause blockage. When someone has a sudden heart attack often it is caused by a tiny piece of plaque. The plaque was so small that it was not detected in any test, but suddenly ruptures in their artery.

One doctor explained the sudden heart attack by saying, "plaque is like a piece of popcorn that has been placed in a microwave that all of a sudden bursts open." When this happens a blood clot will form blocking the flow of blood within seconds.

If doctors cannot reliably predict if you’re likely to have a sudden heart attack, prevention becomes all the more critical. Below you will find a list of some of the most effective measures for prevention.

Keep cholesterol levels low: If you have high cholesterol, you can often lower it with the use of medications called statins, which not only prevent the buildup of plaque in arteries, but "stabilize" the plaque so it’s less likely to rupture.

Do not smoke: Smoking is extremely damaging to blood vessels.

Avoid excess weight: Fat is especially dangerous around the stomach. Dr. Cam Patterson of the University of North Carolina explains: "Abdominal obesity is so bad because we know now that fat cells in the abdomen secrete chemicals that irritate the arteries around the heart, making it more likely that the plaque is going to rupture."

Get regular exercise: For a healthy heart, you should get cardiovascular exercise at least 30 minutes a day, four times a week.

You will find more information on sudden heart attacks on the site listed below.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=5180113&page=1

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Sudden Heart Attack

Health care providers also believe that the statin drugs may help to eliminate the plaque over time, that is already present in your arteries.

The belief is that in time, health care providers will see benefits to their patients from these drugs, other then just lowering cholesterol. The statin drugs are already showing promise in other areas.

Your cholesterol level and other risk factors for heart failure will determine whether statin drugs are needed or not. Some of the risk factors for high cholesterol are as follows.

• Family history of high cholesterol or cardiovascular disease
• Lifestyle
• Blood pressure
• Age
• General health
• Presence of diabetes
• Excess weight
• Smoking
• Peripheral vascular disease — narrowing of the arteries in your neck, arms or legs

You will find more important information on the Mayo Clinic web site.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/statins/CL00010

Who’s at risk of developing statin side effects?

Not everyone who takes a statin will have side effects, but some people may be at a greater risk than are others. Risk factors include:

• Taking multiple medications to lower your cholesterol
• Being female
• Having a smaller body frame
• Being age 65 and older
• Having kidney or liver disease
• Having type 1 or 2 diabetes

Statin side effects may be linked to genetics. More research is needed before a genetic test is widely available to determine if you may have side effects from taking a statin medication.

 http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/statin-side-effects/MY00205

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