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Atherosclerosis (arteriosclerosis - hardening of the arteries)

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Atherosclerosis (arteriosclerosis - hardening of the arteries)

Reviewed by Dr Neal Uren, consultant cardiologist

What is atherosclerosis?

Term watch What is an artery?

An artery is a blood vessel.

The coronary arteries carry blood to the heart.

What are the symptoms of atherosclerosis?

The hardening and narrowing process of atherosclerosis takes many years and can cause no symptoms for a long time.

But when fatty deposits build up to an extent that the artery is significantly damaged, it can cause any of the following.

Term watch Aneurysm: when the wall of a blood vessel balloons out, making it weak and prone to rupture.

Risk factors

Atherosclerosis affects a lot of people. It can start in your 20s and increases with age.

The exact cause of atherosclerosis is unknown, but the following increase your risk of narrowed arteries.

A family history of atherosclerosis.

High levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood.

High blood pressure.

Smoking.

Being male.

Diabetes.

Excess weight.

How is atherosclerosis treated?

Medicines can't cure atherosclerosis or make constricted arteries regain their elasticity.

A cholesterol-lowering medicine can reduce the amount of cholesterol deposited in the arteries and slow the progression of the disease.

Medicines such as low-dose aspirin can prevent blood clots.

Atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart can be treated by medication. This reduces the heart's need for oxygen, lowering pressure on the heart and improving pumping ability.

Blockages can also be treated by the following surgical techniques.

Balloon dilation (percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty or PTA): the narrowed coronary artery is dilated (opened up) with a balloon. A good long-term result can be achieved by then inserting a metal stent (tube) to keep the artery open.

Bypass operation: a section of blood vessel is taken from another part of your body, usually the leg, and joined to the blocked artery to bypass the obstruction to blood flow.

Cleaning the artery (endarterectomy): surgery is used to scrape the fatty plaques from inside the arteries. This operation is usually only used for repairing the carotid arteries in the neck.

What can be done to prevent atherosclerosis?

Eat a varied and healthy diet with plenty of leafy vegetables. Avoid sugary foods and saturated fats found in red meat and full-fat dairy products.

Stop smoking. Your doctor or pharmacist will be able to provide advice about stop-smoking programmes and medicines that can help you quit.

Lose weight if you are overweight.

Exercise more: aim for a half-hour walk each day.

If you have diabetes or high blood pressure, maintain treatment for these conditions.

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