Atherosclerosis: White Blood Cells

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 is one of a group of health problems that define coronary artery disease, oftentimes referred to as heart disease. Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of heart disease in the United States. The following is the definition provided by the American Heart Association:

This chronic disease is also known as atherosclerosis and is characterized as a fatty plaque build-up in arteries which blocks the blood flow to the vital organs in ours bodies; with the heart being the main target. This potentially life-threatening blockage results in starvation and deprivation of oxygen enriched blood and vital nutrients that are necessary for the heart to maintain proper function; and that is being able to pump blood efficiently. Typically, it is said that the process of heart disease may begin during childhood years of an individual’s life. In a healthy individual; our arteries start out smooth and elastic, allowing effortless blood flow to our hearts and throughout our bodies. As this cholesterol-laden plaque begin to accumulate within the walls of blood vessels (which may be caused by a poor diet, and lack of physical activity, or simply hereditary) the vessels become inflamed. With the body’s effort in healing itself, this destructing plaque begins to release substances such as lipoprotenins, calcium, and inflammatory cells throughout the bloodstream.

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)

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.

Coronary Heart Disease Coronary heart disease occurs when the coronary arteries become partially blocked from, cholesterol and fat, circulating in the blood. This causes a build up inside the walls of the arteries. This only occurs if the levels of fat and cholesterol are extremely high in the blood that there is a greater chance that it will be deposited onto the artery walls. If the arteries become completely blocked, the patient will have a myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack. A heart attack can cause permanent damage to the heart muscle, and can sometimes be fatal if immediate treatment is not given.

Macrophage which is now foam-like accumulates on the blood vessel to form visible fatty streak which then undergoes apoptosis. The plaque continues to grow and hardens narrowing the arteries. This ruptures and causes a blood clot which limits the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the body causing a heart attack, stroke or even death. Factors that are known to predispose to atherosclerosis are physical inactivity, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, cigarette smoking and hypertension which increase the chances by two-fold by damaging the vascular endothelium. Experimental studies have just shown that excess blood levels of iron can lead to atherosclerosis (Guyton and Hall, 2011).

The arteries in the body are blood vessels that transport blood from the heart and through the body. Endothelium, which is a thin layer of cells that lines the arteries to help keep the inside of the arteries smooth and toned allowing normal blood flow. The disruption that leads to atherosclerosis begins when an individual smokes, and has either high blood pressure or high cholesterol; in which begins to form atheroma. When the endothelium is damaged it causes it to become invasive allowing bad cholesterol or LDL to enter the artery walls. In return, causing the white blood

The arteries get narrowed stopping the red blood cells to reach the heart. This process is is called atherosclerosis and the fatty material is called atheroma. The fatty material that builds up in the arteries is mostly low density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol. Lipoprotein is a molecule that carries cholesterol throughout the bloodstream. Cholesterol is a fat that is produce by the liver from the saturated

Atherosclerosis is a disease where fatty deposits obstruct the inside of arteries. Arteries are blood vessels that transport blood rich in oxygen to the heart and other parts of the human body. The execs of plaque harden and narrow the arteries. This limits the flow of blood rich in oxygen to the organs and other parts of the human body. Atherosclerosis can lead to more serious problems, such as a heart attack, stroke, or even death. Medical procedures and surgery are recommended in severe cases atherosclerosis.

The human body main organ is the heart which is the cardiovascular system, this include different types of blood vessels. There are some most important vessels in the body that are called coronary arteries. This takes the blood rich oxygen, to every location in the person body. When the arteries become blocked by buildup this can cause blood flow to decrease. There are several factors that may cause a heart attack. Bad cholesterol is also one of the leading cause of blockage. Cholesterol is a colorless substance that is food on the food we eat and as for the produced naturally in the body. Not all cholesterol is bad, but LDL cholesterol can stick to the walls of the arteries and produces plaque. Plaque is a hard matter that blocks the blood flow to the arteries. When blood platelets function this can help blood to clot, and this may stick to the plaque and build as time goes by.

Atherosclerosis is another branch of both cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease. With Atherosclerosis, it is most comparable to coronary heart disease because these two heart diseases work hand and hand, plays the same roles, has the same effects on the heart, and allows plaque substance that builds up in the heart. In this particular heart disease, however, the plaque begins to harden in the artery pathways causing blood to flow poorly to the heart and more possible for blood clotting (The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, n.d.). Atherosclerosis can lead to troublesome health problems in the body for example, a person can experience anything from a heart attack, stroke, or possibly death. Atherosclerosis disease is a preventable disease. By taking the preventable measures, for example, eating right nutrition, making an exercising plan, and make sure annual trips to the physicians are made, one can make heart disease more

The main cause of cardiovascular disease is by blood vessels being blocked, narrowed or stiffened. This is usually caused by a build-up of plaque that has thickened and stiffened artery walls (atherosclerosis). This happening prevents parts of the body such as the heart, organs, tissues and the brain from receiving enough blood.

Throughout our bodies we have arteries and they have to remain healthy so the blood flows and functions properly. As you know blood is very important to the body because the blood contains oxygen which pumps to your heart and all over your body. However, when you have high blood pressure, the blood that flows through the arteries consistently adds force to the walls of the blood vessels. Since high blood pressure adds force to the walls it makes the vessels work harder to make the blood flow, which causes harm to tissues inside the arteries and eventually forms atherosclerosis. This is a disease in which