Most people are aware of what a heart attack is but many don’t know what vulnerable plaque is and the effects it has on the heart and heart attacks. In the past doctors believed that the main cause of a heart attack was due to a buildup of fatty plaque within an artery leading to the heart. This would eventually result in the artery narrowing or becoming completely blocked by a blood clot. The lack of oxygen-rich blood to the heart would then lead to a heart attack. New research is proving that theory wrong. Researchers have now found that vulnerable plaque can be a result of inflammation in the arteries which in turn leads to the development of “soft” or vulnerable plaque which when released aggressively promotes blood clotting and can result in a heart attack.