Possibly, new drugs could be produced to inhibit the clotting (thrombogenic) substances in the plaque. A phar¬maceutical firm or scientists should explore this potential avenue which may produce a product that can prevent a fatal or nonfatal heart attack. The simple drug aspirin certainly helps to prevent some heart attacks and save lives, but it does not nullify the clotting properties of the ruptured plaque contents.
After a few months the area of dead heart muscle forms a well-healed scar. The size of the myocardial infarction depends on the coronary artery affected, i.e., a main vessel or a branch artery, and what part of the heart muscle it supplies (see the illustrations in the chapter on Anatomy of the Heart and Circulation). If the anterior part of the heart is involved, this is more serious than involvement of the back (inferior) part of the heart. Inferior infarction has a very good prognosis.

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