Tim Russert What's happening?", WHEN TV journalist Tim Russert died June 13, it was heartbreaking news for his family, friends and fans. Chief of the Washington bureau of NBC News and longtime moderator of "Meet the Press," Russert was known for asking tough questions. He leaves two more: How could death come so fast to a man who, on-air and off, had always seemed so full of life? And couldn't something have been done to prevent the tragedy?
What happened to Russert? According to reports, Russert died from sudden cardiac arrest -- his heart stopped working. This occurred when plaque ruptured in his left anterior descending coronary artery, a major vessel that supplies blood to the heart. Plaque is basically a mound of fat, cholesterol and other substances collected on an artery wall, often under its lining. When plaque ruptures, the body interprets it as an injury, and blood clots around it.
Clotting around ruptured plaque can spell big trouble, says Dr. Scott Monrad, director of the cardiac catheterization lab at Montefiore-Einstein Heart Center in New York City. In Russert's case, the clot blocked his artery, cutting off blood to his heart and causing a heart attack -- the death of heart muscle tissue. Worse, the event disrupted his heart's electrical impulses, making it lose its rhythm. This happens in about 15% of all heart attacks. Impulses can become too fast (ventricular tachycardia) or chaotic (ventricular fibrillation).
