Atherosclerosis – hardening and narrowing of the arteries – large amounts of bad fat. This is a progressive process that gradually clogs arteries slowly, compromising blood flow.
It is usually atherosclerosis is the cause of heart attacks, strokes and peripheral artery disease, which all together is called “diseases of the cardiovascular system”. “Atherosclerosis begins when high blood pressure, smoking or high cholesterol levels damage the endothelium, “- says Dr. Richard Stein, a national spokeswoman for the American Heart Association – “from this moment begins the formation of cholesterol plaques”.
Cholesterol is transferred from the shock of your blood. Over the years, deposits of cholesterol and cells become plaque on the artery wall. “It’s a mixture of lipids or cholesterol, cells and foreign substances, and it forms an excrescence on the artery wall,” explains Stein. With the progression of the atherosclerosis process, “the build-up increases”. The build-up of sufficiently large size can block the lumen of the vessel.
Atherosclerosis usually causes no symptoms until middle and old age. When the narrowing becomes severe, they cover the bloodstream and can cause pain. Blockage may also suddenly burst, causing blood clotting inside the artery.??? ?????????????????????????????????????????????? Atherosclerotic plaques may behave differently. They can remain inside the artery walls. There are plaques grow to a certain size and then stop their growth. “Because they do not block the blood flow, these plaques will never cause any symptoms,” – says Stein. They can grow slowly in the direction of blood flow. Ultimately they cause considerable obstruction. The usual symptom is pain at the same voltage (in the chest or legs). Worst-case scenario: plaques can suddenly rupture, allowing blood to clot inside the artery.
In the brain, it causes a stroke, in the heart – a heart attack. Atherosclerotic plaques cause three main types of cardiovascular disease:
Coronary heart disease: stable plaques in the arteries of the heart causing angina (chest pain that occurs when a voltage). Sudden plaque rupture and thrombosis causing death of heart muscle. This is a heart attack or myocardial infarction. Cerebrovascular diseases: ruptured plaque in the arteries of the brain causing a stroke with possibly permanent brain damage. Temporary blockage of the arteries can also causes a transient ischemic attack (TIA), which are the precursors of stroke, although, do not cause brain damage. Peripheral arterial disease: plaques can cause narrowing of the arteries of the legs. Peripheral arterial disease impairs blood circulation, which causes pain when walking, and poor wound healing. If the disease is severe, you may need an amputation.
Atherosclerosis begins early. When autopsies of young American soldiers killed during the hostilities in Korea and Vietnam, from 50-75% of them were found early forms of atherosclerosis. What about our time with our salads and mayonnaise? The survey results 262 apparently healthy people, conducted in 2001, may surprise you: 51, 9% have atherosclerosis of varying degrees of prevalence, atherosclerosis was detected in 85% of people older than 50 years, 17% of adolescents were identified atherosclerosis.
If you are 40 years old and generally healthy, have a 50% chance of developing atherosclerosis in the course of your life. This risk increases with age. Most adults over age 60 have little atherosclerosis, but often they do not have noticeable symptoms.
But there is good news. The mortality rate from atherosclerosis in the last 30 years has decreased by 25%. This was due to better treatment and better lifestyle of most people. Despite this, the year in the U. S. atherosclerosis causes over 900, 000 deaths due to heart attacks, strokes and peripheral artery disease. Diseases caused by atherosclerosis are the most frequent cause of death in the United States.
Currently, coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease causing major damage to the health of the world population. Due to the fact that atherosclerosis is a major cause of coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease, its diagnosis, treatment and prevention is very important.