What Is Arteriosclerosis? Arteriosclerosis is an arterial blocker due to a decrease in the elasticity of arterial blood vessels, which is caused by the presence of fat deposits on the inner wall lining of the blood vessels..
Arteriosclerosis is usually used to express the stiffness of blood vessels that is the cause of a stroke or heart attack, but not many people know what arteriosclerosis really is. Therefore, in this article we will discuss the meaning of arteriosclerosis, its causes and the symptoms it causes.
What Is Arteriosclerosis?
The term arteriosclerosis comes from the Greek which consists of the words arteria, which means blood vessels and sclerosis which means hardening. So it can be concluded that arteriosclerosis is the hardening of the arteries due to a decrease in the elasticity of the arteries, which is caused by the presence of fat deposits on the inner wall layer of the blood vessels.
Atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis are similar terms and are sometimes used to denote the same disease condition, but the terms arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis need to be distinguished from each other.
Arteriosclerosis means a decrease in the elasticity of blood vessels or the stiffness of blood vessels caused by a loss of elasticity of the muscles of the arteries. When you are young, arteries are flexible due to the presence of a protein called elastin as you age, there is a loss of this component causing thickening of the artery walls, whereas atherosclerosis is the process of hardening of the arteries characterized by the accumulation of atheromatous plaques on the inner walls of blood vessels. More please read: Atherosclerosis.
What Causes Arteriosclerosis?
According to expert estimates, arteries naturally harden, narrow, and reduce elasticity with age. There are several causes of arteriosclerosis that can speed up this process, namely:
- Diets high in fat & cholesterol, such as consuming biscuits, cakes, sausages, processed meats, ice cream and butter, will cause excess fat, which will then be broken down into LDL, a type of bad cholesterol that can block arteries. LDL Cholesterol will stick to the inner wall of the artery and then form a deposit that will gradually block blood flow.
- High blood pressure in the arteries can damage the inner arterial walls, because the arteries are only designed to pump blood, according to a certain pressure so that the arterial walls will experience damage due to excessive pressure.
- Smoke. It can also damage the inner walls of arteries. In this condition, platelets will gather in the damaged area. This will certainly cause narrowing of the arteries.
- Diabetes mellitus or diabetes type 1 or type 2 will cause excess glucose levels in the blood that can damage arterial walls and trigger the formation of atheroma plaques.
- Excessive alco**hol can cause an increase in blood pressure or hypertension and increase the formation of LDL in the blood.
- Obesity or being overweight will increase the risk of high blood pressure, tend to have high cholesterol and risk developing diabetes, which can certainly cause the formation of atheroma plaques.
- A family history of arteriosclerosis will be twice as likely to develop this disease.
- African ethnicity and Caribbean descent tend to have hypertension and diabetes more often than Asians, this means that this group is also more likely to develop arteriosclerosis.
- Air pollution, such as traffic pollution can cause an increase in arteriosclerosis. Recent studies have shown that people who live within 50 m of the main road are less likely to have arteriosclerosis.
People Are Also Looking For:
Fenofibrate side effects weight gain
Arteriosclerosis symptoms
Before the arteries experience a sudden narrowing or blockage, arteriosclerosis usually does not cause any symptoms. Early symptoms of arteriosclerosis that can occur in the form of pain or cramps that arise as a lack of oxygen and nutrients to the tissues. Arteriosclerosis can occur in the arteries in the brain, heart, and other vital organs.
If arteriosclerosis occurs in the arteries leading to the brain (carotid arteries), then arteriosclerosis can cause a stroke with symptoms such as weakness, paralysis of facial and limb muscles. If arteriosclerosis occurs in the arteries leading to the heart (coronary arteries), then arteriosclerosis can cause a heart attack with symptoms of chest pain that occur suddenly that do not disappear even with rest.
Arteriosclerosis Diagnosis
The following is a series of tests that need to be done to diagnose arteriosclerosis:
- Blood test, to detect elevated levels of cholesterol and blood sugar that can increase the risk of arteriosclerosis.
- Heart catheterization, to see if there is a blockage or narrowing in the heart arteries with the help of a catheter.
- Scan (CT scan or MRA), to detect calcium deposits and aneurysms in the arteries.
- Electrocardiogram (ECG), to record the electrical signals sent from the heart at a certain time.
- Doppler ultrasound, to measure the pressure and velocity of blood passing through the arteries through the arms or legs.
- Stress test, to find out the response the patient shows when the heart is working hard.
- Ankle-brachial index, to check the possibility of arteriosclerosis in the legs and feet.
What is the treatment for arteriosclerosis?
Lifestyle changes, such as a healthy diet and exercise, are the most appropriate treatment for arteriosclerosis. Sometimes, medication or a surgical procedure may be recommended as well.
Drugs used
Various medications can slow down — or even reverse — arteriosclerosis. Here are some common options:
- Cholesterol medicine.
- Anti-platelet drugs.
- Beta blocker drugs.
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors.
- Calcium channel blockers.
- Urinary pills (diuretics).
- Other drugs.
Surgical procedure.
Sometimes medicine can’t treat the disease. If the patient has severe symptoms or blockage of blood vessels until it threatens the survival of muscle tissue or skin, then the next therapy is a surgical procedure.
