Can Atherosclerosis Lead to Heart Diseases?

Every year thousands of heart attack cases are reported. With this ever-rising number, it is important to understand the reason behind heart ailments. Atherosclerosis, is one such condition that eventually leads to blockage in an artery.

Let’s first know what is atherosclerosis:

When the arteries start narrowing because of the plaque buildup, it is then that atherosclerosis happens. It is also referred to as arteriosclerosis, which means that the arteries become very hard. The blood vessels that are responsible for carrying oxygen and the necessary nutrients from the heart to the entire body are the arteries. As you grow older, the cholesterol and the fat starts getting deposited in the arteries, which leads to the formation of plaque. Arteries are lined by the cell layer which is known as the endothelium.

Atherosclerosis starts to develop when there is damage caused to the endothelium. This leads to the lipoproteins of low density getting accumulated in the wall of the artery. These lipoproteins are known as atheroma. The pieces of the plaque may break off, and the flow of blood through the arteries is restricted due to the blood clot. Atherosclerosis may cause stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and peripheral vascular disease if it is not treated properly. This disease can occur in any artery that is located in any of the body parts, which include the kidneys, the legs, or the heart.

How atherosclerosis happens?

Atherosclerosis starts when the arteries located in part of a person’s body become hard and narrow due to the buildup of excess fat in the artery walls. These damages lead to the development of plaque. The plaque starts creating a bump on the wall of the artery. As the disease starts to progress, the bump starts to get bigger. This leads to a blockage. This process goes on throughout the patient’s body, placing his heart at a great risk. This may also lead to stroke or other serious health problems.

Once the disease starts progressing, it may rupture the plaque lining. This causes the LDL cholesterol and the other unwanted substances to spill out in the blood stream. This leads to the blood clot, and the blood clot, in turn, may travel to any other body part, blocking the flow of blood to the nearest organ. The plaque can either stay in the wall of the artery, or it may start growing in the path of the flow of blood.

The best way to treat atherosclerosis is preventing its development. You can stop the building up of plaque by eating a healthy diet, quitting smoking and staying as active as possible.