How does atherosclerosis affect the circulatory system

The test can show hardening and narrowing of large arteries. A cardiac CT scan also can show whether calcium has built up in the walls of the coronary heart arteries. This may be an early sign of CHD.

During stress testing , you exercise to make your heart work hard and beat fast while heart tests are done. If you can't exercise, you may be given medicine to make your heart work hard and beat fast. When your heart is working hard, it needs more blood and oxygen.

Plaque-narrowed arteries can't supply enough oxygen-rich blood to meet your heart's needs. As part of some stress tests, pictures are taken of your heart while you exercise and while you rest. These imaging stress tests can show how well blood is flowing in various parts of your heart.

They also can show how well your heart pumps blood when it beats. Angiography an-jee-OG-ra-fee is a test that uses dye and special x rays to show the inside of your arteries.

This test can show whether plaque is blocking your arteries and how severe the blockage is. A thin, flexible tube called a catheter is put into a blood vessel in your arm, groin upper thigh , or neck. Dye that can be seen on an x-ray picture is injected through the catheter into the arteries. By looking at the x-ray picture, your doctor can see the flow of blood through your arteries. Other tests are being studied to see whether they can give a better view of plaque buildup in the arteries.

Treatments for atherosclerosis may include heart-healthy lifestyle changes , medicines, and medical procedures or surgery. The goals of treatment include:. Your doctor may recommend heart-healthy lifestyle changes if you have atherosclerosis. Heart-healthy lifestyle changes include heart-healthy eating , aiming for a healthy weight , managing stress , physical activity and quitting smoking. For example, you also may need statin medications to control or lower your cholesterol.

By lowering your blood cholesterol level, you can decrease your chance of having a heart attack or stroke. Doctors usually prescribe statins for people who have:. Doctors may discuss beginning statin treatment with people who have an elevated risk for developing heart disease or having a stroke.

Your doctor also may prescribe other medications to:. Take all medicines regularly, as your doctor prescribes. You should still follow a heart healthy lifestyle, even if you take medicines to treat your atherosclerosis. PCI can improve blood flow to the heart and relieve chest pain.

Sometimes a small mesh tube called a stent is placed in the artery to keep it open after the procedure. Coronary artery bypass grafting CABG is a type of surgery. In CABG, arteries or veins from other areas in your body are used to bypass or go around your narrowed coronary arteries.

CABG can improve blood flow to your heart, relieve chest pain, and possibly prevent a heart attack. Bypass grafting also can be used for leg arteries. For this surgery, a healthy blood vessel is used to bypass a narrowed or blocked artery in one of the legs. The healthy blood vessel redirects blood around the blocked artery, improving blood flow to the leg.

Carotid endarterectomy is a type of surgery to remove plaque buildup from the carotid arteries in the neck. This procedure restores blood flow to the brain, which can help prevent a stroke.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle may help you prevent or delay atherosclerosis and the problems it can cause. This, along with ongoing medical care, can help you avoid the problems of atherosclerosis and live a long, healthy life. Researchers continue to look for ways to improve the health of people who have atherosclerosis or may develop it. If you have atherosclerosis, work closely with your doctor and other health care providers to avoid serious problems, such as heart attack and stroke.

Follow your treatment plan and take all of your medicines as your doctor prescribes. Your doctor will let you know how often you should schedule office visits or blood tests. Be sure to let your doctor know if you have new or worsening symptoms. Having an atherosclerosis-related disease may cause fear, anxiety, depression, and stress. Talk about how you feel with your doctor. Talking to a professional counselor also can help.

If you're very depressed, your doctor may recommend medicines or other treatments that can improve your quality of life. Community resources are available to help you learn more about atherosclerosis. Contact your local public health departments, hospitals, and local chapters of national health organizations to learn more about available resources in your area. Talk about your lifestyle changes with your family and friends—whoever can provide support or needs to understand why you're changing your habits.

Family and friends may be able to help you make lifestyle changes. For example, they can help you plan healthier meals. Because atherosclerosis tends to run in families, your lifestyle changes may help many of your family members too. Learn more about participating in a clinical trial. View all trials from ClinicalTrials. Visit Children and Clinical Studies to hear experts, parents, and children talk about their experiences with clinical research.

Also known as Arteriosclerosis , Hardening of arteries. What Is - Atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis Figure A shows a normal artery with normal blood flow. The inset image shows a cross-section of a normal artery.

Figure B shows an artery with plaque buildup. The inset image shows a cross-section of an artery with plaque buildup. Atherosclerosis-Related Diseases Atherosclerosis can affect any artery in the body, including arteries in the heart, brain, arms, legs, pelvis, and kidneys. Ischemic Heart Disease Ischemic heart disease happens when the arteries of the heart cannot deliver enough oxygen-rich blood to the tissues of the heart when it is needed during periods of stress or physical effort.

Carotid Artery Disease Carotid ka-ROT-id artery disease occurs if plaque builds up in the arteries on each side of your neck the carotid arteries. Peripheral Artery Disease Peripheral artery disease P. Chronic Kidney Disease Chronic kidney disease can occur if plaque builds up in the renal arteries.

Overview The cause of atherosclerosis isn't known. Outlook Improved treatments have reduced the number of deaths from atherosclerosis-related diseases. Other Names - Atherosclerosis. Arteriosclerosis Hardening of the arteries. Causes - Atherosclerosis. These factors include: Smoking High amounts of certain fats and cholesterol in the blood High blood pressure High amounts of sugar in the blood due to insulin resistance or diabetes Plaque may begin to build up where the arteries are damaged.

They hope to find answers to questions such as: Why and how do the arteries become damaged? How does plaque develop and change over time? Significant differences may mean blood vessels are narrowed due to atherosclerosis. This is a nuclear scan to see how the heart wall moves and how much blood is expelled with each heartbeat, while the person is at rest. This is a nuclear scan given while the person is at rest or after exercise that may reveal areas of the heart muscle that are not getting enough blood.

Computerized tomography or CT. This is a type of X-ray test that can see if there is coronary calcification that may suggest a future heart problem. You can change some risk factors for atherosclerosis such as smoking, high cholesterol levels, high blood sugar glucose levels, lack of exercise, poor dietary habits, and high blood pressure. Antiplatelet medicines. These are medicines used to decrease the ability of platelets in the blood to stick together and cause clots. Aspirin, clopidogrel, ticlopidine, and dipyridamole are examples of antiplatelet medicines.

Also called blood thinners, these medicines work differently from antiplatelet medicines to decrease the ability of the blood to clot.

Warfarin and heparin are examples of anticoagulants. Cholesterol-lowering medicines. These are medicines used to lower fats lipids in the blood, particularly low density lipid LDL cholesterol. Statins are a group of cholesterol-lowering medicines. They include simvastatin, atorvastatin, and pravastatin among others.

Bile acid sequestrants—colesevelam, cholestyramine and colestipol—and nicotinic acid are other types of medicine that may be used to reduce cholesterol levels. Your doctor may also prescribe fibrates to help improve your cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Blood pressure medicines. We will never share or sell your information. Read more about our privacy policy at here. Donations are tax deductible. Atherosclerosis Statistic Normal vs. Diseased Arteries Atherosclerosis is a vascular disease that is caused by a buildup of plaque in the inner lining intima of arteries that restricts or blocks blood flow to a specific organ or region of the body.

Causes The exact cause of atherosclerosis is unknown, but inflammation of the intima is associated with the development of disease. Symptoms There may be no warning signs in some individuals, although there are well recognized symptoms of atherosclerosis that occur when a blockage or small emboli affect the blood flow to various organs.

If your diseased artery supplies blood to your heart, you may have coronary artery disease and experience chest pain or a heart attack. If your diseased artery supplies blood to your lower extremities, you may have peripheral artery disease and experience muscle pain when walking and be at risk of leg amputation. If your diseased artery supplies blood to your kidneys, you may have high blood pressure or kidney disease.

Maintain a healthy weight and avoid weight gain as you age. Four possible causes of such damage are:. Smoking makes fatty deposits more likely to form, and it accelerates the growth of plaque. Written by American Heart Association editorial staff and reviewed by science and medicine advisers. See our editorial policies and staff. About Cholesterol. Causes of High Cholesterol.

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