A "stuttering heart attack" occurs when an artery that supplies blood to the heart becomes very unstable. On the one hand, the artery is fully clogged with plaque and blood cannot get through to deliver much-needed oxygen to the heart. But, on the other hand, the plaque periodically gives way, opening the channel a bit to allow some blood to pass through to the heart. As the heart is receiving the oxygenated blood in an "off and on" fashion, so too does the patient experience symptoms that flare up and then subside. Because the symptoms come and go, patients and even healthcare providers may misinterpret the symptoms as indigestion or other conditions that might mimic heart-related illness. This is unfortunate because stuttering heart attacks can actually be more serious than other, more acute heart attacks. This is because both patients and healthcare providers may delay treatment, and those delays lead to greater heart damage. To minimize heart damage, the unstable artery must be treated and blood flow restored.

REW: infarto agudo de miocardio sin elevación del segmento ST