Atherosclerosis
Smoking? Unhealthy food? High cholesterol? Hypertension? Obesity? All of these can lead to these vascular changes you see. Atherosclerosis is the narrowing of arteries due to plaque buildup on the artery walls. Arteries carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body. They are lined with a thin layer of cells that keeps them smooth and allows blood to flow easily. This is called the endothelium. Atherosclerosis starts when the endothelium becomes damaged, allowing the harmful type of cholesterol to build up in the artery wall. Atherosclerosis usually doesn't cause signs and symptoms until it severely narrows or totally blocks an artery. Many people don't know they have the disease until they have a medical emergency, such as a heart attack or stroke. Some people may have signs and symptoms of the disease. Signs and symptoms will depend on which arteries are affected. Follow us @medshots for more
