Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a condition that fat and plaque buildup along of the walls of the arteries that can hamper blood flow to various parts of the body. Decreasing the blood flow can lead of decreasing of oxygen and nutrients contained in the blood causing damage of tissues and organ.

Decreasing the blood flow can lead to serious problems, including hearts disease, coronary, carotid artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, heart attack, stroke or even death. Although the cause of atherosclerosis actualy have not known yet. Research show that the disease began in childhood and the process increases rapidly by the age.

Smoking, high blood cholesterol and triglyceride of blood levels, hypertension and high blood sugar levels (diabetes) are some examples of risk factors that can damage the inner lining (endothelium) of the arteries.

Damage of endothelium will lead accumulation of fat, cholesterol, platelets (blood pieces), the rest of the body’s metabolic products, calcium and the other substances in the arterial wall. This series will stimulate artery wall cells to produce other substances in increasing fat deposition, resulting in narrowing artery diameter and blood flow decreased.

Atherosclerosis usually does not show any signs or symptoms until narrowing or blockage of an artery totally, unfortunately the disease recognize after the patient experienced a medical emergency, such as heart disease and strokes.

Therefore, it’s important to identify risk factors early and change unhealthy lifestyles, especially for those who have the problem of obesity, smoking, hypertension, high blood cholesterol levels and no history of heart disease personally or in the familly.