Arteriosclerosis

Arteriosclerosis

A common cause of heart attacks and strokes, arteriosclerosis causes a fatty substance to accumulate inside your arteries. Called plaque, the fatty substance hardens and narrows the arteries, which limits the amount of oxygenated blood that can get to your heart and the rest of your body. When blood is restricted, it can lead to chest pain, a heart attack and pain or numbness in the legs, arms and pelvis, a condition called peripheral arterial disease. The plaque can also rupture and lead to bleeding in the brain, which is medically known as a stroke. Doctors believe that the cells that line our arteries become damaged by high blood pressure, smoking or high cholesterol, which allows plaque to build up in the blood vessel. A family history of heart disease also increases your risk to develop this disease.

Recently Answered

  • QHow is arteriosclerosis obliterans diagnosed?
    1 Answer
    A
    Reston Hospital Center
    A answered

    Arteriosclerosis obliterans is diagnosed with a physical exam and testing. Your doctor might be able to see some of the symptoms of arteriosclerosis obliterans during your physical exam. You may have ischemic ulcers (unhealed sores) and other evidence of poor circulation in the legs.

    If your doctor suspects arteriosclerosis obliterans, he may perform an ankle-brachial index, or ABI. This test compares the blood pressure in your arms to the blood pressure in your legs, to test for narrow or blocked arteries in the legs.

    An ultrasound can determine the extent of the damage to your arteries, and your doctor may check for high blood cholesterol or diabetes.

    An angiography is a test in which injected dye makes the flow of your blood visible on X-rays images. This can help your doctor see your blood flow. Other types of angiography include magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), computerized tomography angiography (CTA), and catheter angiography, in which the dye is injected directly into the damaged artery via catheter.
  • QHow is arteriolosclerosis diagnosed?
    1 Answer
    A
    Reston Hospital Center
    A answered

    Arteriolosclerosis is diagnosed by physicians in three ways. After collecting a comprehensive family and medical history, physicians perform a physical examination where they listen for a bruit (pronounced broo-E), or an unusual whooshing sound in the arteries. They also take a blood pressure reading in both the ankle and the arm to compare blood flow to identify areas where there may be a problem. Results of blood tests can signal elevated levels of cholesterol, glucose, fats and proteins. Electrocardiograms are used to detect a previous heart attack or heart damage due to arteriolosclerosis; and echocardiography detects injury to the heart muscle and whether or not it is getting enough oxygen and nutrients. Chest X-Rays are also an important diagnostic tool because they too can pinpoint damage to the heart. Physicians may also recommend a stress test and a computed tomography, or CT, scan. And while CT scans are a good way to find narrowing and hardening of larger arteries, an angiography, which is performed by injecting dye into the arteries and watching its progress on an x-ray, can be used to detect blockage in all arteries

  • QHow is medial calcific sclerosis diagnosed?
    1 Answer
    A
    Reston Hospital Center
    A answered

    Medial calcific sclerosis can be diagnosed using an x-ray. The deposits of calcium inside the walls of the arteries show up on the film and can be spotted by the physician. Computed tomography (CT), a method of creating a three dimensional x-ray, can also be used in the diagnosis.

  • QHow can atherosclerosis lead to a heart attack?
    1 Answer
    A
    Intermountain Healthcare
    A answered
    Atherosclerosis is a disease process in which plaque (a mixture of cholesterol, calcium, and blood-clotting materials) builds up on the inner walls of the arteries. Atherosclerosis can lead to a heart attack in three ways:
    • The buildup of fatty deposits (plaque) can severely narrow or completely block the coronary artery.
    • The diseased, narrowed coronary artery can encourage the formation of a blood clot (thrombus) that can block the artery.
    • The irritated coronary artery can go into spasm (tighten up), sealing the artery shut.
  • QHow do other illnesses affect arteriosclerosis obliterans?
    1 Answer
    A
    Reston Hospital Center
    A answered

    Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the major arteries of the heart and body, often causes arteriosclerosis obliterans. Diabetes and obesity can worsen arteriosclerosis obliterans. Foot infections, including fungal infections, and conditions like corns, bunions, and calluses, can lead to the development of ischemic ulcers, or unhealed sores, related to arteriosclerosis obliterans.

  • QHow do other illnesses affect medial calcific sclerosis?
    1 Answer
    A
    Reston Hospital Center
    A answered

    If you have chronic renal failure, diabetes or osteoporosis, you are more likely to develop medial calcific sclerosis. Additionally, this condition can increase your risk for cardiovascular disease. Osteoporosis occurs in conjunction with this problem in some people.

  • QDoes arteriolosclerosis affect children differently than adults?
    1 Answer
    A
    Reston Hospital Center
    A answered

    Arteriolosclerosis does not generally affect children. It is a disease that develops over time and as people age. By the time people reach their middle age, they can become affected by risk factors, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, high blood cholesterol levels, smoking, and an unhealthy diet. Most signs of arteriolosclerosis appear in people who are in their 40s or 50s. The risk of developing complications from arteriolosclerosis goes up after men are 45 years old, and women are 55 years old. Recent studies have found that due to the increasing incidence of obesity in children, they are now at risk for developing the disease.

  • QDoes arteriosclerosis obliterans affect children differently than adults?
    1 Answer
    A
    Reston Hospital Center
    A answered

    Arteriosclerosis obliterans does not typically affect children. Age is a risk factor for this disease; it usually affects those over 50. Arteriosclerosis obliterans can begin before age 40, but symptoms do not usually become noticeable until the disease is quite advanced.

  • QHow can I protect my children from arteriolosclerosis?
    1 Answer
    A
    UCLA Health
    A answered

    Due to the increasingly large number of children who are becoming overweight, arteriolosclerosis is now a concern for younger people. It is important for adults to teach the children in their lives how to make healthy lifestyle choices. Because some of the main risk factors that affect who develops arteriolosclerosis depends on what they eat, how much they exercise, whether or not they smoke, and high blood pressure, children who learn how to manage their diets and get lots of regular sleep and exercise may be spared a diagnosis. Being a good example to a child can give them the tools they need to prevent arteriolosclerosis.

  • QDoes medial calcific sclerosis affect children differently than adults?
    1 Answer
    A
    Reston Hospital Center
    A answered

    Medial calcific sclerosis usually does not affect children. The condition is most common in people over the age of 50. However, it may occur in people with chronic renal failure, which could possibly include children.