What Is Atherosclerosis?

Coronary artery disease remains number one killer of the western civilization despite 40 years of aggressive drug and surgical interventions (Esselstyn). Usually, pharmaceutical drugs, such as statin, are given to try to slow the progression, but may provide uncomfortable side effects. In fact, the majority of patients discontinue statins within 1 year of treatment initiation (Maningat). Furthermore, surgery is performed to circumvent clogged arteries and literally bypass the symptoms. In the last year, 500,000 coronary bypass procedures were performed (Swaminathan et al). However, these surgeries can have significant risks, including the potential to cause further heart damage, stroke, and brain dysfunction. Thus, it is evident that these way of treatments may not be enough on its own, and that getting to the

There is no cure for peripheral arterial disease however with lifestyle changes and medication symptoms can be reduced. Lifestyle changes such as; Exercising more regular is important because it conditions the muscles to use the oxygen it is receiving more efficiently. Eating a healthier diet will help control blood pressure and cholesterol levels which contribute to atherosclerosis. Smoking is a big factor in developing and worsening peripheral arterial disease, by quitting smoking the risk of complications will be reduced. Avoiding certain cold medication is also important as these may restrict blood vessels and aggregate the symptoms. Taking care of feet are very important this can be done by washing, drying and moisturising daily, wearing

Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of coronary heart disease, the number one killer of Americans (). The inflammatory process is known to lead to a myriad of other cardiovascular complications including, coronary heart disease, stroke and myocardial infarctions. It is important

The cardiovascular system is composed of thousands of tubes, known as blood vessels that blood travels in. Blood is constantly being pumped to and from the heart through arteries and veins, respectively. Oxygen, nutrients, water, wastes are just some of the substances moving throughout the body via the blood vessels. Because this system is very complex, many issues can occur which inhibit the cardiovascular system from doing its job.

Coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease and the #1 cause of death for both men and women in the United States resulting in about 375,000 deaths a year. (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2014). This disease refers to “any vascular disorder that arrows or occludes the coronary arteries leading to myocardial ischemia” (Huether & McCane, 2012). It occurs when the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the heart becomes hardened and narrowed. Also, factors such as smoking, high levels of fat & cholesterol in the blood, hypertension, high levels of sugar in the blood, and blood vessel inflammation damage the inner layers of the coronary arteries. “This disease is prevalent in younger and elderly individuals. Coronary artery calcium is highly predicative of coronary heart disease event risk across all age groups” (Tota-Maharaj et al, 2014). Coronary artery disease is caused by the buildup of cholesterol and fatty deposits, or plaque, in the inner walls of the coronary arteries in a process called atherosclerosis. Normally, the coronary arteries are smooth and elastic, lined with a layer of cells called the endothelium. The endothelium acts as a physical barrier between the blood stream and the coronary artery walls.

Atherosclerosis a chronic, inflammatory disease of the medium and large arteries, peripheral arteries, carotid and the aorta is a major contributor to the development of cardiovascular disease and the leading cause of death worldwide. Aherosclerotic plaque formation is a local process in the vessel wall with symptoms in the specific area, though the possibility of plaque formation at the same time and in different areas of the vasculature, regards the disease as systemic one1-3. Furthermore it is recognized that atherosclerotic carotid arteries pose a substantial risk of ipsilateral cerebrovascular events, with reported annual ischemic stroke rates ranging from .35% to 1.3% in asymptomatic patients with moderate stenosis4,5 and from .5% to

The NHS states that Coronary heart disease is when the heart’s blood supply becomes blocked or interrupted, and the furring of arteries is due to a build up of fatty substances. Coronary arteries supply blood to the heart and the walls fur up with fatty deposits called atheroma and this process is called atheroslerosis.

Risk factors for heart disease cause problems because inevitably, they lead to atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the deposition of plaques of fatty material on the inner walls of the arteries ("What Is Cardiovascular Disease?” 2014). It develops for years without causing symptoms and it can happen in any part of the body. Around the heart, it is known as coronary artery disease because coronary arteries feed the heart muscle itself. Coronary heart disease symptoms include angina (dull/heavy sharp chest pain or discomfort), or pain in neck, jaw, throat, upper abdomen or back. All of these symptoms and risks of cardiovascular disease may be the result of high cholesterol. Cholesterol is the macromolecule (fat/lipid) in our blood. Our bodies create all the cholesterol our cells need, but most of the time we get cholesterol from the foods that we eat as well.

The patient’s pathophysiological condition of CAD resulted from an alteration in the physiology of his arteries. The etiology was the interrelationship of his blood pressure, lipid levels and lifestyle choices. CIT CAD is a result of atherosclerosis with contributing factors including hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. Hypertension is also known as high blood pressure. Normally it is asymptomatic for the patient, but puts undue pressure on the vessels of the body. Hyperlipidemia is an abnormally high concentration of fats and cholesterol in the blood. The patient has several risks for hyperlipidemia including obesity and being a male over the age of forty-five. High lipid levels, and hypertension, can speed up the process of atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. The process can occur over years in several stages. The endothelium, the smooth lining of the blood vessels, is damaged by high blood pressure and high cholesterol. The damaged areas create a place for lipids to enter the artery’s wall between the intima and the media, layers of the artery walls. Lipids and cholesterol circulate in the blood and start to accumulate in the wall of the artery developing a fatty core and a thin fibrous outer shell, this is called plaque. The plaque narrows the lumen, inside of the artery, restricting the blood flow. The plaque can rupture into the

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the United States with more than 610,00 people who die every year because of the complications attached to these diseases. Not only that, more than 735,000 people have heart attacks of different intensities ranging from slight to dangerous and life-threatening. The main heart disease that is diagnosed among patients is known as atherosclerosis.

The first part of the thesis is devoted to carotid atherosclerosis. Carotid arteries are the main blood suppliers of the brain. They are found on each side of the neck and they bifurcate to two arteries: internal carotid artery and external carotid artery (figure 1). Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease affecting large and medium-sized arteries including carotid arteries. It is an acquired disease which initiates at very early ages and progresses silently through decades. It is characterized by accumulation of cholesterol, calcium, lipid and other waste, also called plaques, within the inner wall of artery. The disease originates by dysfunction of endothelial cells, which are the cells forming the innermost layer of the vessel wall. Endothelial cells are semi-permeable and they control the

Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of mortality and morbidity and is accounted for almost 1 out of 5 deaths in the world. Atherosclerosis is a chronic heart disease that causes most of the vascular deaths. The fat deposition in arterial walls progressively develop into atheroma leading to restriction in blood circulation thus increasing risk of local thrombosis. Local thrombosis often forms the base that leads to partial or total obstruction of the artery. At the time of birth, the probability of a cardiovascular disease is 47%. The impact of Atherosclerosis on morbidity and mortality and its economic implications created a necessity for new treatments and prevention strategies. It

About 610,000 Americans die from heart diseases each year, which is about 1 in every 4 deaths. The most common type of heart disease is coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease is buildup of plaque in the arteries, which restrict the flow of the oxygen rich blood and nutrients to the heart. This can cause major problems such as angina or heart attack. If the blood supply to the heart is disturbed or if the blood supply is not able to keep up with the energy demand. That can result in permanent damage to the heart muscle. The development of coronary artery disease is not spontaneous, it starts in your early teen years. The blood vessel walls start to show fatty deposits also known as plaques. As you get older, the plaque builds up and

Plaques form gradually over many years, and in some cases may go un-noticed. It is formed by cholesterol and saturated fat inside the intima which is the inside of blood vessels. When the adhesion of leukocytes to endothelium happens it all becomes lipids and “foam cells”.

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease that causes formation of plaques under the intimal layer of the blood vessel wall. As the plaque grows and calcifies, it narrows the blood vessel lumen and decreases blood flow to the downstream tissue. Also, risk of plaque rupture increases. Plaque rupture leads to platelet adhesion that results in a thrombus, which occludes the artery. Occlusion of the coronary arteries results in myocardial infarction. Pathologies affecting small and medium sized arteries are the leading cause of death worldwide. Due to development of better treatments, mortality rates after myocardial infarction have decreased in the last decades (REF). However, replacement of the occluded artery is often necessary. The currently available options for these transplants are limited. The most frequently applied treatment for coronary artery occlusion is a bypass operation. During this operation, an autologous blood vessel (often a saphenous vein or a mammary artery) is used to bypass the coronary artery. The use of these so-called autografts is invasive and may be limited due to previous harvesting and anatomical variability. Furthermore, atherosclerosis is often found in almost all blood vessels of the patient. The risk of occlusion of the autograft is high (Hasan et al., 2014).