Atherosclerosis

Like water through a hose, blood flows through your arteries delivering oxygen and nutrients to your organs.  When your arteries become clogged with fatty deposits (known as plaque), they lose their elasticity and narrow.  This blocks or slows the smooth passage of blood.  Plaque is a sticky, yellow substance made of fatty substances such as cholesterol, calcium, and waste products from your cells.  Atherosclerosis is a slow, progressive condition that may begin as early as childhood.  It can occur anywhere in the body but it usually affects large and medium sized arteries.

What causes atherosclerosis?

The causes of atherosclerosis are complicated and still not completely understood.  Atherosclerosis is thought to start when the inner lining of the artery becomes damaged.  The blood vessel wall reacts to this injury by depositing fatty substances, cholesterol, calcium and other substances on the inner lining of the artery.  The result is a progressive thickening of the blood vessel wall.  High blood pressure, high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, and smoking can all contribute to the development of plaque.  Risk factors for atherosclerosis include diabetes, obesity, high blood cholesterol, consuming a high fat diet, or a family history of heart disease.

Symptoms

Sometimes atherosclerosis causes no symptoms until it is far enough advanced to block a large part of an important blood vessel.  If the blockage occurs in an artery of the heart (coronary artery), it will cause angina (chest pain).  As it progresses, atherosclerosis in the arteries of the heart may cause a heart attack, or if it develops in the brain, can cause a stroke.

Atherosclerosis, heart disease and stroke

If atherosclerosis blocks the flow of blood through your coronary arteries, you may develop coronary artery disease (CAD), which may lead to angina or a heart attack.  If it blocks the arteries in your brain, it may lead to a stroke.