Article Medically Reviewed By:
Erin Donnelly Michos, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine Division of Cardiology Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore, MD
Overview
What Is It?
Atherosclerosis occurs when your arteries narrow and become less flexible, which happens when plaque collects on the inner walls.
Diseases caused by atherosclerosis are the leading cause of illness and death for both men and women in the United States, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Although breast cancer is often the illness most feared by women, the disease affects one out of eight women over the lifetime, compared to coronary heart disease, which is responsible for more than one in three female deaths in America. Atherosclerosis is often the first stage of coronary heart disease (CHD).
Often referred to as "hardening of the arteries," atherosclerosis occurs when your arteries narrow and become less flexible. This happens when cholesterol, fatty substances, cell waste products, calcium and fibrin—collectively called plaque—collect on the inner walls. The arteries respond to the buildup by becoming inflamed, which, in turn, results in the formation of scar tissue and the collection of other cells in the affected areas, further narrowing the artery.
Atherosclerosis can affect medium and large arteries anywhere in your body. If someone has atherosclerosis in one part of their body, they typically will also have atherosclerosis in other parts of their bodies. Atherosclerosis restricts blood flow, thus limiting the amount of oxygen available to your organs. When blood flow to the heart is reduced, for instance, chest pain, or angina, may result. Similarly, when blood flow to the arteries in the legs is reduced, leg pain called claudication mayresult.
As the disease progresses, atherosclerosis can completely clog arteries, cutting off blood flow. This usually happens suddenly when a blood clot forms in the damaged arteries on top of the atherosclerosis. This is especially dangerous in arteries near the brain, heart or other vital organs. If blood flow to the heart is nearly or completely blocked, a heart attack results and muscle cells in the heart die. The result is permanent heart damage. Similarly, if blood flow is abruptly cut off to the brain, this can cause a stroke, which may also result in permanent brain damage. And if blood flow is abruptly cut off to the legs, the leg may have to be amputated. Thus atherosclerosis can lead to serious life-threatening complications if not addressed early through prevention and early treatment.
Atherosclerotic plaques have a cholesterol- or lipid-rich core covered by a fibrous cap. If this cap ruptures, it exposes this lipid-rich core to blood. The sticky core attracts platelets, forming a blood clot, called a thrombus, at the site. This clot can completely clog the artery and cut off blood flow.
More mature plaques (stable plaques) have a thick fibrous cap, which is less likely to ruptu...
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