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- What is atherosclerosis?
- Symptoms of atherosclerosis
- Causes of atherosclerosis
- Prevention of atherosclerosis
- Risk factors for atherosclerosis
- Complications of atherosclerosis
- When to see a doctor about atherosclerosis
- Diagnosis of atherosclerosis
- Conventional treatment of atherosclerosis
- Alternative/complementary treatment of atherosclerosis
- Living with atherosclerosis
- Caring for someone with atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis comes from the Greek words athero (meaning paste or gruel) and sclerosis (hardness). Atherosclerosis is a condition which causes narrowing and hardening of the arteries when they become blocked with plaque, due to cholesterol mainly, but also other substances.
Arteries are the blood vessels which carry oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to all the cells of the body and if they become blocked in any way, this prevents the oxygen getting to the cells and this can cause a number of serious effects in the body, primarily in the heart, which can suffer from oxygen starvation and a heart attack can ensue.
The plaque that builds up in the walls of the arteries (over a period of time) is made up of the following:
- cholesterol
- fatty substances
- calcium
- other substances
The plaque build-up inside the artery wall makes it difficult for blood to flow properly through the arteries.
There are two types of plaque associated with atherosclerosis, with one even worse than the other:
- Hard and stable - causes the artery walls to thicken and harden, generally stays in the same place in the arteries
- Soft and unstable - this type will often break off from the artery wall and enter the bloodstream where it can cause even more health problems by causing a clot that partially or totally blocks the blood flow. The organ that is served the blood from the blocked artery may become severely damaged or die as a result (heart attack and stroke)
Even if a clot doesn't form, there could be excessive bleeding into the plaque which can also have serious repercussions.
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Some facts about atherosclerosis
- Atherosclerosis can actually being in childhood!
- Scientists do not yet known exactly what causes atherosclerosis in some people and not others, but one theory proposed is that atherosclerosis starts because the inner most layer of the artery (the endothelium) becomes damaged.
- Atherosclerosis can develop into heart attack and stroke, leading to death from either of these conditions
- While atherosclerosis is a slow clogging of the arteries, that normally affects older people, some people may develop heart attack and stroke even in their 30's due to this condition from an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise
- Research shows that people who are 40 and generally healthy, have about a 50% chance of developing serious atherosclerosis in their lifetime
- Most adults older than 60 have some form of atherosclerosis in their arteries, but generally do not have any noticeable symptoms
- Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of illness and death in all Western countries
- Atherosclerosis can lead to serious diseases and complications that may be life threatening, such as heart attack and stroke
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