Question

How do we know the heart disease from which a person died after his death?

Answer 1

The most accurate method of determining that a heart attack was the cause of death is an autopsy. The pathologist performs a head to toe external physical exam prior to making a Y incision that runs from each shoulder to the sternum then directly down to the pubis. The internal organs are removed one by one, weighed, examined, and biopsied. When the heart is examined, it's vessels, valves, and actual muscle are examined for irregularities, calcifications, and blockages. If a vessel is blocked by a clot or a build-up of cholesterol, fatty stuff, calcium, and fibrin, that will most probably be the cause of the heart attack. Also, if portions of the heart muscle itself is necrotic (dead), that is a very good indication that there was an earlier blockage and that the heart muscle tissue did not receive the necessary blood circulation. Autopsies are normally scheduled within a day of death, so the family could be notified as early as 12 hours after death.