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Summary
Atherosclerosis is a disease in which plaque builds up inside your arteries. Plaque is a sticky substance made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood. Over time, plaque hardens and narrows your arteries. That limits the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your body.
Atherosclerosis can lead to serious problems, including:
- Coronary artery disease. These arteries supply blood to your heart. When they are blocked, you can suffer angina or a heart attack.
- Carotid artery disease. These arteries supply blood to your brain. When they are blocked you can suffer a stroke.
- Peripheral arterial disease. These arteries are in your arms, legs and pelvis. When they are blocked, you can suffer from numbness, pain and sometimes infections.
Atherosclerosis usually doesn't cause symptoms until it severely narrows or totally blocks an artery. Many people don't know they have it until they have a medical emergency.
A physical exam, imaging, and other diagnostic tests can tell if you have it. Medicines can slow the progress of plaque buildup. Your doctor may also recommend procedures such as angioplasty to open the arteries, or surgery on the coronary or carotid arteries. Lifestyle changes can also help. These include following a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, quitting smoking, and managing stress.
NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Diagnosis and Tests
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Heart Health Tests: MedlinePlus Health Topic
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
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Lipoprotein (a) Blood Test
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Treatments and Therapies
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Angioplasty: MedlinePlus Health Topic
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
- Carotid Endarterectomy (Cleveland Clinic Foundation)
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Chelation for Coronary Heart Disease
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Living With
- Heart-Healthy Diet: Eight Steps to Prevent Heart Disease (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Related Issues
- Atherosclerosis and Stroke (American Stroke Association)
Specifics
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Cerebral Arteriosclerosis
(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Genetics
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Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics
(National Library of Medicine)
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Tangier disease: MedlinePlus Genetics
(National Library of Medicine)
Videos and Tutorials
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Atherosclerosis
(Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Arteriosclerosis
(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Atherosclerosis
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: RNA interference targeting ANGPTL3 for triglyceride and cholesterol lowering: phase 1...
- Article: Plasma Trimethylamine-N-Oxide and Incident Ischemic Stroke: The Cardiovascular Health Study and...
- Article: Early Vascular Ageing in adolescents with migraine with aura: a community-based...
- Atherosclerosis -- see more articles
Patient Handouts
- Angioplasty and stent placement - peripheral arteries (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Arteriogram (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Atherosclerosis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Doppler ultrasound exam of an arm or leg (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Extremity angiography (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Magnetic resonance angiography (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
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What Is Atherosclerosis?
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish