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Atherosclerosis

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Atherosclerosis is a process in which fatty substances, cholesterol, calcium and other substances are deposited in the inner lining of medium and large arteries. This build up occurs in irregular patches called plaques.

Plaques may grow large enough to reduce blood flow through the artery. When this occurs in the arteries of the heart, it is called coronary artery disease (CAD).

Plaques can also become fragile and rupture. A blood clot (a thrombus) develops over a ruptured plaque or other damaged areas of the artery wall and this may block blood flow through the artery. Bits of the blood clot may break off and travel to another part of the body, where they can lodge in a blood vessel and cause a blockage (an embolism).

Atherosclerosis can lead to blockages:

in the brain (causing a stroke or transient ischaemic attack, TIA)
in the heart (causing angina or a heart attack)
in the lungs (causing a pulmonary embolism)
in the limbs (causing a painful condition called intermittent claudication, and gangrene)

Atherosclerosis is a progressive disease that starts in childhood. In some individuals, atherosclerosis progresses rapidly when they are adults. Atherosclerosis and damage to the artery wall is caused by:

high cholesterol levels in the blood (particularly low-density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol)
high blood pressure
tobacco smoke

Strictly speaking, atherosclerosis is a form of arteriosclerosis. Arteriosclerosis is an abnormal thickening and hardening of the arteries with a loss of elasticity. It develops with age, high blood pressure, abnormal blood lipids (e.g. cholesterol) and other conditions.

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Glossary

Glossary entries within this article:

Atherosclerosis
- Accumulation of deposits containing fat on walls of arteries.
Anticoagulant
- Drug which retards clotting but does not dissolve clots that already exist. It tends to prevent new clots forming on artificial valves and existing clots from becoming larger.
Aorta
- The chief artery that receives blood from the left ventricle of the heart and causes it to flow to the body.
Artery
- A vessel that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. It generally carries blood which is rich in oxygen. The exception in mammals is the pulmonary artery which takes deoxygenated blood to the lungs.
Atrial fibrillation
- Disorder where the two small upper chambers of the heart flutter instead of beating effectively. When the heart beats, not all the blood is pumped out of them and the blood can form pools and clot.
Beta-blocker
- Drug that is used to reduce the occurrence of angina.
Blood pressure
- Pressure which is exerted by the heart when it pumps blood.
CAD (coronary artery disease)
- Condition in which deposits of fat or plaques build up in the cells lining the wall of a coronary artery, thus obstructing the flow of blood.
Calcium antagonists
- Drug used to lower the frequency of angina.
Collateral circulation
- Network of small arteries which are normally closed. If the coronary artery is blocked, they may open up in order to take blood to the heart.
Coronary angiogram
- A test to indicate where the arteries are constricted and how narrow they have become.
Coronary
- Relating to the heart or one of the two arteries which originate in the aorta and supply blood directly to the heart tissue.
Congestive Heart Failure
- Condition in which the heart is unable to pump sufficient blood to meet the requirements of the other organs in the body.
Ischemic heart disease
- Disorder caused by insufficient blood supply due to a constriction of coronary arteries.
Pulmonary artery
- Artery which takes blood from the heart to the lungs.
Pulmonary
- Relating to the lungs. The term is sometimes used to refer to the pulmonary valve, which is the valve which prevents reverse flow of blood from the pulmonary artery into the right ventricle (pulmonary regurgitation, for instance).
Stroke
- A cardiovascular disorder where a blood vessel taking oxygen and nutrients to the brain bursts or is blocked by a blood clot or other particles. If deprived of oxygen, nerve cells in the brain cannot function and they die, thus stopping the function of parts of the body they control.
Transient ischemic attack (TIA)
- Minor strokes which cause stroke-like symptoms and no lasting damage. They are important predictors of stroke.
CAD
- Coronary artery disease

In the glossary you will find terms that we have provided with some extra-information.

Glossary

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