Atherosclerosis is the main cause of cardiovascular disease, which is responsible for over 900,000 deaths in the United States each year. People who appear to be healthy may already have the disease and be at risk for a heart attack or stroke. What is atherosclerosis? What causes atherosclerosis? What are the risk factors of atherosclerosis?
What is Atherosclerosis?
The term atherosclerosis refers to the hardening and narrowing of the arteries due to the build up of plaque. As the disease progresses, the flow of oxygen and blood is reduced. This increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. While atherosclerosis is generally thought of in association with the heart, it can occur anywhere within the body.
Atherosclerosis is a slow and progressive condition that can start at any age, even early in childhood. A study conducted in 2001 found 17% of teenagers already had atherosclerosis. That number increased to over 50% by adulthood and 85% in people over the age of 50.
What Causes Atherosclerosis?
The exact cause of atherosclerosis is unknown. The process appears to begin when the lining of an artery becomes damaged. The body’s defense system responds to the injury by sending platelets to repair the damage. This causes inflammation in the area. Cholesterol moving through the system collects in the area of the injury and crosses the damaged lining to the wall of the artery. White blood cells then move in to try to remove the cholesterol. Over time, the mass of platelets, cholesterol and white blood cells harden into plaque. The plaque forms a bump on the ordinarily smooth wall of the artery, which narrows the available space and reduces the amount of blood that can flow through it.
Some plaques remain their original size and cause no real issue for the individual. Others plaques continue to attract cholesterol, white blood cells, and other debris, which causes the bump to expand further out into the open space of the artery. This reduces the flow of blood even more and symptoms, such as chest pain, poor circulation or leg pain, eventually begin to occur. If the plaque cracks, the body sends platelets to heal the area and a clot will form. Depending on where the plaque is located in the body, this can cause a serious medical problem, including a heart attack or stroke.
What are the Risk Factors of Atherosclerosis?
While the exact cause is unknown, the risk factors that increase your chance of developing atherosclerosis are well documented. While a few risk factors cannot be changed (age, gender, family history), many of them can be controlled by the individual. This makes atherosclerosis a largely preventable disease.
Common risk factors of atherosclerosis include:
Age (the risk increases as people grow older. Men are more prone to atherosclerosis after age 45 and women after age 55)
Gender (men are more likely to develop atherosclerosis than women)
Family history of early heart disease (father or brother diagnosed with heart disease before age 55 or mother or sister with heart disease before age 65)
High cholesterol (high levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol)
High triglycerides (this is especially true in women)
