About 90 percent of men with atherosclerosis have calcified arteries, as opposed to women, who calcify their plaques only 30 percent of the time. This means that women respond to heart disease reversal programs even better than men, since their arteries are not lined in a cast of calcium, but it also might mean that their plaques are more precarious and prone to rupture and sudden clot formation.
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.
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Piedmont Heart Institute answeredThe treatment for cerebral arteriosclerosis can include medications or surgery. Physicians may also recommend treatment to help people control high blood pressure, quit cigarette smoking, and reduce the cholesterol level, all of which are risk factors for cerebral arteriosclerosis.
This answer is based on source information from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes. -
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Riverside Center for Neurosciences answeredCerebral arteriosclerosis can lead to life-threatening health events such as an ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. People who survive the stroke may have long-term neurological and motor impairments.
This answer is based on source information from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes.
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Piedmont Heart Institute answered
Cerebral arteriosclerosis is the result of the thickening and hardening of the walls of the arteries in the brain. The symptoms of cerebral arteriosclerosis include headache, facial pain, and impaired vision.
Cerebral arteriosclerosis can cause serious health problems. If the walls of an artery are too thick or a blood clot is caught in the narrow passage, the blood flow to the brain can be blocked and cause an ischemic stroke. When the thickening and hardening is uneven, the arterial walls can develop bulges (called aneurysms). If a bulge ruptures, bleeding in the brain can cause a hemorrhagic stroke. Both types of stroke can be fatal.
Cerebral arteriosclerosis is also related to a condition known as vascular dementia, in which small, symptom-free strokes cause cumulative damage and death to the neurons in the brain. Personality changes in the elderly, such as apathy, weeping, transient befuddlement, and irritability, might indicate that cerebral arteriosclerosis is present in the brain. Computer tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain can reveal the presence of cerebral arteriosclerosis before the development of an ischemic stroke, a hemorrhagic stroke, or vascular dementia.
This answer is based on source information from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes.
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Dr. Kelly Traver , Internal Medicine, answeredThere are injuries that come with wear and tear in all of us as we age, but several factors greatly increase the number of injuries to the inner lining of the arteries. These factors are:
- High blood pressure
- Smoking
- High blood sugar
- Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol
All of these have the power to do significant damage to our precious arteries.
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NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital answeredPatients whose symptoms are mild to moderate can often manage their disease by making lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, getting regular exercise--which can be a tremendous help in relieving symptoms--and working with their doctors to take care of related conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Doctors may also prescribe blood-thinning drugs or other medications.
Doctors often use minimally invasive procedures such as balloon angioplasty and stenting to relieve the narrowing and improve blood supply to the extremities. These techniques work best when the diseased portion of the artery is relatively small, and when it is easily accessible with a catheter, a very thin tube tipped with surgical equipment that can be inserted into and threaded through a blood vessel. Angioplasty and stenting are often initially very effective in relieving the blockage, but in 30 to 40 percent of patients the blockage comes back within the first year or two. This re-blocking of the artery is called "restenosis."
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NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital answered
Risk factors for lower extremity arterial disease include smoking--the number one risk factor for all cardiovascular diseases--a family history of atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, diabetes, abnormal cholesterol levels, advanced age, and a sedentary lifestyle.
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Parkland Medical Center answeredArteriosclerosis obliterans, or peripheral artery disease, occurs when arterial plaque and fat deposits build up in the arteries that feed the limbs. This makes the arteries too narrow to allow a sufficient blood flow to the extremities, especially the legs. Healthy arteries dilate to allow for heavier blood flow when it is needed, for instance, when you are exercising. If you suffer from arteriosclerosis obliterans, the walls of your arteries could stiffen and lose their ability to dilate when necessary. Eventually, your arteries could become so narrow that blood flow is always insufficient, even when you are at rest.
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Parkland Medical Center answered
The primary cause of arteriosclerosis obliterans is atherosclerosis, a type of arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. Atherosclerosis is a condition in which fat and plaque deposits build up in the walls of the arteries, including the heart. When atherosclerosis becomes advanced, it begins to affect the arteries of the limbs and causes arteriosclerosis obliterans.
Other causes of arteriosclerosis obliterans include inflammation of the blood vessels, anatomical abnormalities in the legs, trauma to the limbs or exposure to excessive radiation.
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Parkland Medical Center answered
Arteriosclerosis obliterans restricts the flow of blood to your legs and lower extremities. This can cause extreme pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness in the affected limbs and extremities. Sores may develop on your legs and feet, and they might not heal. Activities, such as walking, can become too painful to perform. For some, even wearing clothing on the legs can be painful. Arteriosclerosis obliterans increases your risk of blood clots, gangrene, erectile dysfunction, and coronary artery disease.