Arteriosclerosis and heart disease

What is arteriosclerosis? Arteriosclerosis is literally means hardening of the arteries, includes all kinds of diseases that damage the arteries and eventfully lead to coronary artery diseases. It involving arteries of various sizes and different layers of the arterial walls.

Arteriosclerosis is responsible for most of the deaths resulting from heart attacks.

The arterials diseases begins with damage to cells of the heart’s arteries and lead to the formation of a fibrous, fatty deposit called plaque.

The arterial plaque slowly increases in size until eventually the amount of blood flowing through the artery is greatly reduced or completely blocked.

If the coronary arteries that carry oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle become obstructed , the flow of blood is cut off completely and a heart attack, or myocardial infarction, can occur resulting damage to the heart muscle.

Arteriosclerosis is the most prevalent chronic among senior citizens and the number one killer in the United States. It mostly affects those between the ages of 40 to 70.
Arteriosclerosis and heart disease