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Atherosclerosis medical information[edit | edit source]
Hardening of the arteries, also called atherosclerosis, is a common disorder. It occurs when fat, cholesterol, and other substances build up in the walls of arteries and form hard structures called plaques.
Over time, these plaques can block the arteries and cause problems throughout the body.
Hardening of the arteries is a process that often occurs with aging. As you grow older, plaque buildup narrows your arteries and makes them stiffer. These changes make it harder for blood to flow through them.
Clots may form in these narrowed arteries and block blood flow. Pieces of plaque can also break off and move to smaller blood vessels, blocking them.
Either way, the blockage starves tissues of blood and oxygen, which can result in damage or tissue death.This is a common cause of heart attack and stroke.
High blood cholesterol levels can cause hardening of the arteries at a younger age.
For many people, high cholesterol levels are the result of an unhealthy lifestyle -- most commonly, eating a diet that is high in fat.
Causes:
- Diabetes
- Diet lacking High Density Lipoproteins (HDLs)
- Family history of hardening of the arteries
- High blood pressure
- Smoking
- Heavy alcohol use
Symptoms:
Hardening of the arteries does not cause symptoms until blood flow to part of the body becomes slowed or blocked.
If the arteries to the heart become narrow, blood flow to the heart can slow down or stop. This can cause chest pain (stable angina), shortness of breath, and other symptoms.
Narrowed or blocked arteries may also cause problems and symptoms in your intestines, kidneys, legs, and brain.
Pathophysiology:
Atherosclerosis occurs mainly when a person has a high number of Low Density Lipoproteins (LDLs), which are more dangerous than HDLs. This is because LDLs are not as effective as HDLs in removing cholesterol from the body compared to HDLs. As a result, cholesterol may be build up in some areas of the body, for example in blood vessels. If this build-up continues, then platelets may adhese onto it, thereby solidifying this clot further. This results in a decrease in the amount of blood that the affected vessel can be ave to provide to its area. In worse cases, it may cause diseases such as Myocardial Infarction.
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Bibliography[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- Wikilectures.eu Atherosclerosis
- nlm.nih.gov Hardening of the arteries
