What is the main cause of arteriosclerosis?
Atherosclerosis is thickening or hardening of the arteries caused by a buildup of plaque in the inner lining of an artery. Risk factors may include high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, obesity, physical activity, and eating saturated fats.
What does it mean by arteriosclerosis?
Arteriosclerosis occurs when the blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients from your heart to the rest of your body (arteries) become thick and stiff — sometimes restricting blood flow to your organs and tissues.
What causes buildup of plaque in arteries?
What causes plaque in arteries? Plaque forms when cholesterol lodges in the wall of the artery. To fight back, the body sends white blood cells to trap the cholesterol, which then turn into foamy cells that ooze more fat and cause more inflammation.
How does atherosclerosis affect blood pressure?
How High Blood Pressure Causes Atherosclerosis. When the heart beats, it pushes blood through the arteries in your entire body. Higher blood pressures mean that with each beat, arteries throughout the body swell and stretch more than they would normally.
What is atheroma made up of?
Atheromas are raised lesions that protrude into the vessel lumen and contain a soft, yellow, grumous (thick and lumpy) core consisting mainly of cholesterol and cholesterol esters, covered by a white, fibrous cap.
What layer thickens in atherosclerosis?
However, the middle layer (tunica media) is thicker in arteries than in veins.
Which artery is located in the armpit?
Axillary Artery
Axillary Artery: This is a continuation of the subclavian artery. This artery travels deep in the arm pit, feeding muscles and bones around the shoulder with its branches. It eventually turns into the brachial artery.
What is a atheroma?
Definition of atheroma 1 : an abnormal fatty deposit in an artery. 2 dated : fatty degeneration of the inner coat of the arteries.
What are the symptoms of arteriosclerotic heart disease?
Arteriosclerosis symptoms can also arise in any other part of the body to which blood flow is affected, such as vision loss if the eye arteries are blocked, or chest pain and breathlessness if lung arteries are obstructed.
How does arteriosclerosis affect the legs and feet?
Arteriosclerosis obliterans, also known as peripheral artery disease, occurs when the legs and feet are affected, which can lead to blockage of leg arteries. Arteriosclerosis Symptoms. Arteriosclerosis is a progressive disease that develops gradually.
What causes hardening of the arteries in arteriosclerosis?
Arteriosclerotic heart disease can also be caused by calcium deposits (calcification) on the walls of arteries that harden them, or thickening of the artery walls due to chronic high blood pressure.
What are the different types of arteriosclerosis?
The three current types of arteriosclerosis include: Atherosclerosis: In this type, the large arteries are hardened and narrowed. Moenckeberg medial calcific sclerosis: The hardening of small to medium-sized arteries. Arteriolosclerosis: The calcification of small arteries.