What is Atherosclerosis?
Atherosclerosis is the build of plaques (fatty substances) on the endothelium of arteries within the body. The reason for the formation of plaques is unknown however the process of the formation of plaques has been researched. The endothelium of the artery becomes damaged, and so plaques begin to form, when leukocytes start to attack the endothelium of the artery, typically monocytes and basophils. The attack results in a inflammatory response, an platelets start to form a clot on the endothelium. This in itself does not cause any problems in the artery, and does not lead to atherosclerosis. The plaque is misrepaired due to lipids within the sub-endothelium. Therefore it is more likely to be broken and misrepaired again, this constant process of misrepairing leads to a large build of plaques on the endothelium. The reduction of area within the artery results in a higher blood pressure which is more likely to cause damage in the arteries leading to more plaques forming. This causes a blockage of an artery, if the plaque becomes detached it is even more serious as the blood clot can clog arteries all over the body, leading to coronary heart disease, peripheral arterial disease, strokes, and heart attacks.
Causes of Atherosclerosis
The following things are known to increase the risk of atherosclerosis, although it is unknown how;
Results of Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis can lead to multiple health problems, some are possibly fatal;
Resources;
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/atherosclerosis/Pages/Introduction.aspx
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronary_artery_disease
Atherosclerosis is the build of plaques (fatty substances) on the endothelium of arteries within the body. The reason for the formation of plaques is unknown however the process of the formation of plaques has been researched. The endothelium of the artery becomes damaged, and so plaques begin to form, when leukocytes start to attack the endothelium of the artery, typically monocytes and basophils. The attack results in a inflammatory response, an platelets start to form a clot on the endothelium. This in itself does not cause any problems in the artery, and does not lead to atherosclerosis. The plaque is misrepaired due to lipids within the sub-endothelium. Therefore it is more likely to be broken and misrepaired again, this constant process of misrepairing leads to a large build of plaques on the endothelium. The reduction of area within the artery results in a higher blood pressure which is more likely to cause damage in the arteries leading to more plaques forming. This causes a blockage of an artery, if the plaque becomes detached it is even more serious as the blood clot can clog arteries all over the body, leading to coronary heart disease, peripheral arterial disease, strokes, and heart attacks.
Causes of Atherosclerosis
The following things are known to increase the risk of atherosclerosis, although it is unknown how;
- smoking
- high fat diet
- lack of exercise
- being overweight, obese
- having type 1 or type 2 diabetes
- high cholesterol
- high blood pressure
Results of Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis can lead to multiple health problems, some are possibly fatal;
- High blood pressure (hypertension)- can result in capillaries bursting due to the single cell thick walls not being able to cope with the increased pressure. Can cause damage to the brain, eyes, kidneys, ears.
- Peripheral arterial disease- blood supply to the legs is cut off due to clots stopping blood flow, this starves the muscles of oxygen. This leads to muscle degeneration, and build up of lactic acid which causes severe muscle pain.
- Coronary Heart disease- a group of diseases which all result in limited blood flow to the heart due to arteries. In severe cases a heart attack ensues, possibly leading to death.
- Aneurysm- the high pressure of blood being forced around clots can lead to aneurysms, as the strength of the vessel wall is reduced. An aneurysm can burst leading to internal bleeding, decreased blood volume, and death.
- Stroke- a clot causes blood flow to a certain part of the brain to be disrupted, possibly resulting in death if a vital part of the brain is affected. Can result in memory loss, where sufferers have to relearn everyday skills such as walking and speaking.
Resources;
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/atherosclerosis/Pages/Introduction.aspx
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronary_artery_disease