What is Atherosclerosis?

What is Atherosclerosis and the consequences of this medical condition?

• Atherosclerosis is a medical condition in which the process of LDL cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium and fibrin (clotting material in the blood), forms plaque. Atherosclerosis is sometimes known as coronary atherosclerosis.

• Plaque is a substance that can narrow arteries and make them less flexible by building up in the inner lining of your arteries.
• If plaque partially or completely blocks the flow of blood through an artery, it may result in hemorrhaging (bleeding) into the plaque, or it may result in a thrombus (a blood clot) forming on the surface of the plaque. If this type of bleeding or clotting occurs and blocks the entire artery, it may result in a heart attack or a stroke.

• If there is a blood clot that reduces blood flow in the arteries that supply blood to the heart  –>

  • then you may experience angina (chest pain) or a heart attack

• If there is a clot that reduces blood flow that supplies blood to the brain –>

  • then the result is a stroke

• Atherosclerosis is a type of arteriosclerosis, which is a general medical term to describe the thickening and hardening of the arteries.