Atherosclerosis Research Paper

Many of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease cause problems because they lead to atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the narrowing and thickening of arteries and develops for years without causing symptoms. It can happen in any part of the body. Around the heart, it is known as coronary artery disease, in the legs it is known as peripheral arterial disease. The narrowing and thickening of the arteries is due to the deposition of fatty material, cholesterol and other substances in the walls of blood vessels. The deposits are known as plaques. The rupture of a plaque can lead to stroke or a heart attack. (World Heart Federation).

Atherosclerosis is the process in which substances known as plaques, which are made up of cholesterol and platelets, adhere to tears in the walls of arteries. Over time these plaques build up to the point where they occlude blood flow in the arteries. When this happens in the coronary arteries, either directly, as the result of buildup in the arteries themselves, indirectly in the form a clot from another part of the body breaking loose and becoming lodged in the coronary arteries, the usual result is a heart attack.3

Atherosclerosis (ath"er-o-skleh-RO'sis) comes from the Greek words athero (meaning gruel or paste) and sclerosis (hardness). It's the name of the process in which deposits of fatty substances, cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium and other substances build up in the inner lining of an artery. This buildup is called plaque. It usually affects large and medium-sized arteries. Some

Nevertheless, there is an understandable and noticeable link between circulatory related diseases and lifestyle diseases, such as Coronary Heart Disease. Coronary heart disease can occur when fatty acids, such as cholesterol in an inadequate diet, build up in the walls of the coronary artery. These fatty deposits collect minerals and harden to become a plaque. Eventually, this plaque grows and can swells up, forming an aneurism. In some cases, this aneurism may burst leading to instant death. As it continues to grow and swell up, it finally blocks the artery completely and forms blood clots. This is known as coronary thrombosis. A myocardial infarction, or in other words as heart attack, occurs when no oxygen is able to reach the coronary artery and thus it is unable to fulfil its role in providing the heart muscle with a sufficient supply of blood. Heart attacks are very common in the society nowadays, especially occurring in smokers or obesity related diseases (Millar, June 2014)

(Mayo Clinic, 2013) Some surgical procedures used to treat CAD are angioplasty and coronary artery bypass surgery. (Mayo Clinic, 2013) The angioplasty surgery is when your doctor inserts a catheter to the blockage in the artery and threads the wire through the narrowed arteries. (Opening blocked coronary arteries: New questions about the old answer, nd., p.2) Once the balloon is in place, at the sight of the blockage, the balloon inflates which causes the plaque to crack and the artery to become free from blockage. (Opening blocked coronary arteries: New questions about the old answer, nd., p.2) The other surgical opinion for CAD is coronary artery bypass surgery is a procedure done by a doctor using a graft. (Mayo Clinic, 2013) The doctor will construct a graft to direct the blood flow around the blockage using existing blood vessels in the body. (Mayo Clinic, 2013) Due to the fact that this procedure requires open heart surgery, it is usually used for patients with several partial or full blockages. (Mayo Clinic, 2013)

Atherosclerosis is associated with the major killer ailments in America, which include strokes, heart attacks, as well as peripheral vascular disease. The condition arises when there are a narrowing and hardening of the arteries. This is usually a gradual process, and it slowly blocks the arteries. When this happens, it will impede smooth blood flow. It is estimated that at least one million Americans lost their lives to a condition associated with atherosclerosis for the past few years.

LDL carries plaque which attaches to the walls of arteries and beings to build up. The plaque is a combination of cholesterol, fat, calcium and other substances. As it builds up over time, it hardens and the arteries become narrow, a condition called atherosclerosis. The blood cannot flow as freely and oxygen cannot get throughout the body as it should. If the plaque ruptures or breaks open, a blood clot can form. If the clot becomes large enough, blood flow is impaired or blocked completely. You may experience extreme pressure or pain in the chest called angina or possible pain in the shoulders, jaw, arms, back, or the discomfort associated with indigestion. This is a heart attack. Heart damage or even death may result if blood flow is not quickly restored. However, arteries leading to other parts of the body can have plaque buildup resulting in strokes, carotid artery disease, and peripheral artery disease. On the other hand, if the HDL is higher, the risk for heart disease is lower.

6. Atherosclerosis, pp.1157. is a form of arteriosclerosis in which thickening and hardening of the vessel are caused by the accumulation of lipid-laden macrophages w/I the arterial wall, which leads to the formation of a lesion called a plaque. It is not a single disease but rather a pathologic process that can affect vascular syustemns throughtout the body, resulting in ischemic syndromes that can vary widely in their severity and clinical manisfestations. It is the leading contributor to coronary artery and cerebrocascular disease. Athrosclerosis is an inflammatory disease, the lesions progress from endothelial injury and dysfunction

The plaque restricts blood flow to the heart and deprive the heart of oxygen it needs to function properly. CAD can be chronic, which is narrowing of the coronary artery and limitation of the blood supply to part of the muscle, or it can be acute, which results from a sudden plaque that ruptures. According to Warnica (2013), rupturing of the plaque “exposes collagen and other thrombogenic material, which activates platelets and the coagulation cascade, resulting in an acute thrombus, which interrupts coronary blood flow and causes some degree of myocardial ischemia.” The major risk factors that can lead to atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease are hypertension, dyslipidemia, tobacco smoking, diabetes mellitus, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and genetic predisposition. The risk factors present in M.T.’s life are history of angina pectoris, history of uncontrolled hypertension due to non-compliance with treatment, obesity, and stress. M.T. is overweight with 289 pounds. M.T.’s cholesterol level is high at 280mg/dl. M.T.’s stress is related to experiencing the death of his best friend and business partner from cancer. Having three teenage children who are constantly in trouble at school and a wife who recently lost her job can be a stress factor in M.T.’s

Sometimes atherosclerosis occurs in the carotid arteries, especially at the bifurcation or the point where the common carotid divides into the internal and external carotids. Atherosclerosis means that a potentially dangerous plaque has formed on the artery wall. Plaque is a sticky material made of fat and calcium which hardens the arteries and can block the flow of blood. This narrowing is sometimes called a carotid artery stenosis, meaning that the carotid artery has narrowed significantly.

Coronary artery disease is one of the common forms of heart disease. It’s caused by the narrowing occurs in the coronary arteries so that reduces the flow of blood to the heart tissues. Through the artery is gradually narrowing because of a substance called plaque builds up inside the wall of coronary arteries, the heart may not get enough blood to work. (coronary artery disease)If the plaque ruptures, a blood clot can form around on its surface. Over the time, the blood clot can completely block the pathway, which can’t let any blood to go through.

Atherosclerosis is a disease in which fatty materials and plaque buildup on the inner lining of arteries. Arteries are blood vessels which carry rich blood to the heart and throughout the body. They’re lined by the endothelium, a thin layer of cells. The endothelium keeps blood flowing by keeping the inside of arteries smooth. However, when Atherosclerosis starts due to high blood pressure, smoking, or high cholesterol, it damages the endothelium. Atherosclerosis tends to happen throughout the body and arises when people grow older. This disease is mainly due to the deposition of fatty materials i.e., cholesterol, calcium and other substances found in the blood. The buildup of fat then hardens causing narrowing of the arteries. This

784). The immune system attempts to attack the inflamed area in the artery with special white blood cells and “cells full of fatty nutrients, foam cells, begin to form there, too” (Sapolsky, 2004, p. 43). The white blood cells are unable to properly fight the affected area, and in turn, end up adding more substance to the build up. As this process continues, the affected area becomes inflamed and physically hardens. This produces a blockage in the artery and reduces blood flow, while also causing an increase in blood pressure. At this point of the atherosclerosis build up, many people, especially women, experience angina.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is caused by fatty buildup in the arteries of the heart. Your arteries are made to carry oxygen infused blood to your heart and other parts of your body if it is filled up with plaque, which is the fatty substance that clogs and blocks up the arteries. If it gets clogged enough to where your heart is not receiving fresh oxygen, you could have a heart attack that could cause very serious damage to your body and could even kill you. When you are younger, you can begin to grow plaque in your blood vessels from not eating right and not exercising regularly. When your arteries are being filled up with plaque they become more narrow and harder for blood to get through as easily as it is supposed to be. When you have

Atherosclerosis is a type of arteriosclerosis. Arteriosclerosis is a general term for the thickening and hardening of arteries. Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is a pathological situation in which plaque builds up inside the arteries. Plaque is usually made of cholesterol, fatty substances, cellular products, calcium and fibrin (a clotting material in the blood). Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity from cardiovascular disease (CVD) around the world. The magnitude of this problem is so high that atherosclerosis claims more lives than all types of cancer combined and the financial burden are considerable1. It a complex, chronic pathological