The heart condition where a specific area of the heart muscle dies due to blocked coronary arteries is called a heart attack (myocardial infarction).
This damaged part can no longer regenerate or function normally.
It may occur suddenly and can often be fatal.
In some cases, it can happen silently (a “silent heart attack”), and the person may not even realize it — until, perhaps, an EKG technician asks:
“Have you ever had a heart attack?”