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What is the main cause of atherosclerosis?

What is the main cause of atherosclerosis?

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 is atherosclerosis in simple terms?

Atherosclerosis is the buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances in and on your artery walls. This buildup is called plaque. The plaque can cause your arteries to narrow, blocking blood flow. The plaque can also burst, leading to a blood clot.

What will happen if you have atherosclerosis?

Atherosclerosis is a disease that occurs when plaque builds up inside arteries. The arteries get hard and narrow, which can restrict blood flow and lead to blood clots, heart attack or stroke.

What are the 4 stages of atherosclerosis?

Atherosclerosis is the pathologic process by which cholesterol and calcium plaque accumulate within the arterial wall….The working theory includes four steps:

  • Endothelial cell injury.
  • Lipoprotein deposition.
  • Inflammatory reaction.
  • Smooth muscle cell cap formation.

What are the warning signs of clogged arteries?

Do clogged arteries cause any symptoms?

  • Chest pain.
  • Shortness of breath.
  • Heart palpitations.
  • Weakness or dizziness.
  • Nausea.
  • Sweating.

How do you detect atherosclerosis?

Doctors have an arsenal of diagnostic tests and tools they can access to confirm the presence of Atherosclerosis – these include an angiogram (Arteriogram), cholesterol tests, a chest x-ray, a CT (computed tomography) scan, Duplex scanning, an echocardiogram, an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), an exercise stress test ( …

What 3 foods cardiologists say to avoid?

Here are eight of the items on their lists:

  • Bacon, sausage and other processed meats. Hayes, who has a family history of coronary disease, is a vegetarian.
  • Potato chips and other processed, packaged snacks.
  • Dessert.
  • Too much protein.
  • Fast food.
  • Energy drinks.
  • Added salt.
  • Coconut oil.

What foods should you avoid if you have atherosclerosis?

Your diet is an especially important factor in your risk for atherosclerosis, and heart disease generally….Avoid or limit the following items:

  • Fatty or marbled meats.
  • Spareribs.
  • Chicken wings.
  • Hot dogs and sausages.
  • Lunchmeat.
  • Bacon.
  • Breaded or fried meat, fish, or poultry.

Who is most at risk of atherosclerosis?

As you get older, your risk for atherosclerosis increases. Genetic or lifestyle factors cause plaque to build up in your arteries as you age. By the time you’re middle-aged or older, enough plaque has built up to cause signs or symptoms. In men, the risk increases after age 45.

Does high cholesterol cause plaque in arteries?

Too much LDL in the blood can cause cholesterol to lodge in the artery walls and form plaques. That’s why LDL is known as “bad” cholesterol. Not surprisingly, high levels of cholesterol in the diet raise blood levels of LDL.

What vitamin removes plaque from arteries?

Niacin, or Vitamin B3, is the best agent known to raise blood levels of HDL, which helps remove cholesterol deposits from the artery walls.

Why should you never eat bananas?

Bananas are higher in calories than other fruits-at about 105 calories-and they have less fiber, so you won’t feel full as long. Bananas are good for your heart in small doses, but if you eat too many bananas, you can develop hyperkalemia. This means you have too much potassium in your blood.

What is atherosclerosis and how does it occur?

Atherosclerosis is a chronic, progressive disease in which plaques build up in the walls of arteries. These plaques are formed by deposits of cholesterol and other lipids, calcium, and large inflammatory cells called macrophages . Once a plaque is present in an artery, it can cause several kinds of problems.

What problems does atherosclerosis produce?

Atherosclerosis can affect arteries in other parts of the body, such as the pelvis and legs, causing poor circulation, slower healing of skin injuries, and erection problems.

How serious is atherosclerosis?

Atherosclerosis (also known as hardening of the arteries or stiffening of the arteries or arteriosclerosis) is a disease in which plaque builds up inside your arteries. Atherosclerosis can lead to serious problems, including heart attack, stroke, or even death.

What is the difference between atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis?

Atherosclerosis is the progressive accumulation and build-up of plaque inside the arterial walls, while arteriosclerosis is the hardening or thickening of the arterial walls.