Atherosclerosis

• Atherosclerosis (ath"er-o-skleh-RO'sis) comes from the Greek words athero (meaning gruel or paste) and sclerosis (hardness).
• A process in which deposits of fatty substances, cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium and other substances build up in the inner lining of an artery. This buildup, or plaque, can grow large enough to significantly reduce the blood's flow through an artery.
• It usually affects large and medium-sized arteries. Some hardening of arteries often occurs when people grow older.
• most of the damage occurs when the plaque becomes fragile and rupture.

Complications of plaque rupture:

• If these plaques rupture, they can cause blood clots to form that can block blood flow or break off and travel to another part of the body.
  • If either happens and blocks a blood vessel that feeds the heart, it causes a heart attack.
  • If it blocks a blood vessel that feeds the brain, it causes a stroke.
  • If blood supply to the arms or legs is reduced, it can cause difficulty walking and eventually gangrene.

   

Causes:

• begins with damage to the innermost layer of the artery. This layer is called the endothelium (en"do-THE'le-um). Causes of damage to the arterial wall include:
  • elevated levels of cholesterol and triglyceride (tri-GLIS'er-id) in the blood
  • high blood pressure.
  • tobacco smoke
  • diabetes
• controllable risk factors for atherosclerosis:
  • High blood cholesterol (especially LDL or "bad" cholesterol over 100 mg/dL)
  • Cigarette smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke
  • High blood pressure
  • Diabetes mellitus
  • Obesity
  • Physical inactivity