An exquisitely detailed study of tissue from people who died suddenly of coronary disease reveals an unexpected mechanism of death -- one that could be manipulated to reduce the risk of those deaths, pathologists say. Sudden death can occur when one of the fatty deposits called plaques that build up in artery walls ruptures, spewing debris that blocks the blood vessel and stops blood flow to the heart or brain.Analysis of plaque from 24 people who died suddenly of coronary causes shows fatal ruptures can occur when tiny blood vessels that have grown into the plaque burst, researchers at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology report in the Dec. 11 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
