Health & Disease Info
All You Wanted to Know About ... Arteriosclerosis

What is Arteriosclerosis?
Arteriosclerosis, "hardening of the arteries", is a chronic disease of the vascular system that is characterized by abnormal thickening and hardening of the vessels. This hardening occurs when cholesterol begins to build up within the inner most walls of the arteries, and fibrous plaque then begins to develop on the cholesterol as the mass progresses. Over time, the plaque can potentially limit blood flow, or even click blood flow. Generally, a vessel is approximately 7-80% blocked before a person has noticeable symptoms. The symptoms perceived are related to the specific organ system that is receiving less blood flow than normal.

What Causes Arteriosclerosis?
There are a number of causes/risk factors of arteriosclerosis. The following list is not necessarily in order of importance:

• high blood pressure
• smoking
• high cholesterol (primarily high "bad" LDL cholesterol and low "good" HDL cholesterol
• aging
• diabetes
• family history of arteriosclerosis
• a sedentary lifestyle
• elevated homocysteine (naturally occurring amino acid)

What Can Be Done About Arteriosclerosis?
First of all, be an informed health care consumer. Know your personnel and family history of medical problems. Control the risk factors you can such as smoking, diet, exercise, and seek professional assistance to manage others such as blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes.

Take Control of Your Health Care.