What is a the Athherosclerosis

Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients from your heart to the rest of your body. Healthy arteries are flexible, strong and elastic. Over time, however, too much pressure in your arteries can make the walls thick and stiff — sometimes restricting blood flow to your organs and tissues. This process is called arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.

Atherosclerosis is a specific type of arteriosclerosis, but the terms are sometimes used interchangeably. Atherosclerosis refers to the buildup of fats in and on your artery walls (plaques), which can restrict blood flow. These plaques can also burst, causing a blood clot. Although atherosclerosis is often considered a heart problem, it can affect arteries anywhere in your body. Atherosclerosis is a preventable and treatable condition. Consult to Cosmetologist in Delhi for best treatment .

Signs and symptoms

Atherosclerosis does not occur in children, but can begin forming as early as the teen years. Until progressing to an advanced stage, it is usually asymptomatic. Atheroma in arm, or more often in leg arteries, which produces decreased blood flow is called peripheral artery occlusive disease (PAOD). Typically, atherosclerosis begins as a thin layer of white streaks on the artery wall (usually due to white blood cells) and progresses from there.

Most artery flow disrupting events occur at locations with less than 50% lumen narrowing (~20% stenos is average). The illustration above, like most illustrations of arterial disease, overemphasizes lumen narrowing, as opposed to compensatory external diameter enlargement (at least within smaller arteries, e.g., heart arteries) typical of the atherosclerosis process as it progresses. The relative geometry error within the illustration is common to many older illustrations, an error slowly being more commonly recognized within the last decade.

Causes

The main cause of atherosclerosis is yet unknown, but is hypothesized to fundamentally be initiated by inflammatory processes in the vessel wall in response to retained low-density lipoprotein (LDL) molecules. Once inside the vessel wall, LDL molecules become susceptible to oxidation by free radicals, and become toxic to the cells. The damage caused by the oxidized LDL molecules triggers a cascade of immune responses which over time can produce an atheroma. The LDL molecule is globular shaped with a hollow core to carry cholesterol throughout the body. Consult to Cosmetologist in Gurgaon and Cosmetologist in Faridabad for best treatment.  

The body's immune system responds to the damage to the artery wall caused by oxidized LDL by sending specialized white blood cells (macrophages and T-lymphocytes) to absorb the oxidized-LDL forming specialized foam cells. These white blood cells are not able to process the oxidized-LDL, and ultimately grow then rupture, depositing a greater amount of oxidized cholesterol into the artery wall. This triggers more white blood cells, continuing the cycle. Consult to Cosmetologist in Noida and Cosmetologist in Ghaziabad for best treatment.

Risk factors

Hardening of the arteries occurs over time. In addition to simply getting older, factors that increase the risk of atherosclerosis include:

• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Smoking
• A family history of aneurysm or early heart disease

Diagnosis

Your doctor may find signs of narrowed, enlarged or hardened arteries during a physical exam. These include:

• A weak or absent pulse below the narrowed area of your artery
• Decreased blood pressure in an affected limb
• Whooshing sounds (bruits) over your arteries, heard with a stethoscope
• Signs of a pulsating bulge (aneurysm) in your abdomen or behind your knee
• Evidence of poor wound healing in the area where your blood flow is restricted

Depending on the results of the physical exam, your doctor may suggest one or more diagnostic tests, including:

• Blood tests. Lab tests can detect increased levels of cholesterol and blood sugar that may increase the risk of atherosclerosis. You'll need to go without eating or drinking anything but water for nine to 12 hours before your blood test. Your doctor should tell you ahead of time if this test will be performed during your visit.
• Doppler ultrasound. Your doctor may use a special ultrasound device (Doppler ultrasound) to measure your blood pressure at various points along your arm or leg. These measurements can help your doctor gauge the degree of any blockages, as well as the speed of blood flow in your arteries.
• Electrocardiogram (ECG). An electrocardiogram records electrical signals as they travel through your heart. An ECG can often reveal evidence of a previous heart attack or one that's in progress. If your signs and symptoms occur most often during exercise, your doctor may ask you to walk on a treadmill or ride a stationary bike during an ECG.
• Other imaging tests. Your doctor may use ultrasound, a computerized tomography (CT) scan or a magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA) to study your arteries. These tests can often show hardening and narrowing of large arteries, as well as aneurysms and calcium deposits in the artery walls.

Treatments

Lifestyle changes, such as eating a healthy diet and exercising, are often the best treatment for atherosclerosis. But sometimes, medication or surgical procedures may be recommended as well.

Various drugs can slow — or sometimes even reverse — the effects of atherosclerosis. Here are some common choices:

• Cholesterol medications. Aggressively lowering your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol, can slow, stop or even reverse the buildup of fatty deposits in your arteries. Boosting your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol, may help, too. Your doctor can choose from a range of cholesterol medications, including drugs known as statins and fibrates.
• Anti-platelet medications. Your doctor may prescribe anti-platelet medications, such as aspirin, to reduce the likelihood that platelets will clump in narrowed arteries, form a blood clot and cause further blockage.
• Calcium channel blockers. These medications lower blood pressure and are sometimes used to treat angina.
• Water pills (diuretics). High blood pressure is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis. Diuretics lower blood pressure.

• Angioplasty. In this procedure, your doctor inserts a long, thin tube (catheter) into the blocked or narrowed part of your artery. A second catheter with a deflated balloon on its tip is then passed through the catheter to the narrowed area. The balloon is then inflated, compressing the deposits against your artery walls. A mesh tube (stent) is usually left in the artery to help keep the artery open.
• Thrombolytic therapy. If you have an artery that's blocked by a blood clot, your doctor may insert a clot-dissolving drug into your artery at the point of the clot to break it up.
• Bypass surgery. Your doctor may create a graft bypass using a vessel from another part of your body or a tube made of synthetic fabric. This allows blood to flow around the blocked or narrowed artery

Drugs:

Drugs that may be prescribed by the specialist may include:

• Statins to Lower Bad Cholesterol
• Fibrates to Reduce Triglycerides
• Niacin to Improve Overall Cholesterol
• Bile acid sequestrants (cholestyramine, colestipol, colesevelam)
• Plant sterols
• Lovaza (an omega-3-acid)

Alternative medicine

It's thought that some foods and herbal supplements can help reduce your high cholesterol leveland high blood pressure, two major risk factors for developing atherosclerosis. With your doctor's OK, consider these supplements and products:

• Alpha-lanolin acid (ALA)
• Artichoke
• Barley
• Calcium
• Cocoa
• Cod liver oil
• Coenzyme Q10
• Garlic
• Oat bran (found in oatmeal and whole oats)

Talk to your doctor before adding any of these supplements to your atherosclerosis treatment. Some supplements can interact with medications, causing harmful side effects.

Complications:

The complications of atherosclerosis depend on the location of the blocked arteries. It may include:

• Coronary artery disease
• Carotid artery disease
• Peripheral artery disease
• Aneurysms

Prevention

The same healthy lifestyle changes recommended to treat atherosclerosis also help prevent it. These include:

• Quitting smoking
• Eating healthy foods
• Exercising regularly
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Drinking alcohol in moderation, if at all

Just remember to make changes one step at a time, and keep in mind what lifestyle changes are manageable for you in the long run.