Last updated on January 10, 2022
Content By: Dr. Nikita Toshi BDS, Assistant Manager (Medical Review), Dr. Ritu Budania MBBS, MD (Pharmacology) Head, Medical Affairs
Last updated on January 10, 2022
Atherosclerosis occurs when there is a plaque buildup in the arteries which make them narrow and impede the usual blood flow. Arteries are the blood vessels that transport oxygen and nutrients from your heart to other parts of the body. Atherosclerosis is more common in old age, though the signs can start as young as adolescence. Can atherosclerosis be prevented? Atherosclerosis prevention is possible by making the right lifestyle changes, such as exercising daily and opting for better food habits. Moreover, one can reduce their risks of contracting atherosclerosis by getting regular heart check-ups and following their medication or treatment plan properly. Read on to find more information about atherosclerosis, its causes, symptoms, treatment and expert advice on atherosclerosis prevention.
Atherosclerosis occurs when there is a plaque buildup in the arteries which make them narrow and impede the usual blood flow. Arteries are the blood vessels that transport oxygen and nutrients from your heart to other parts of the body. Atherosclerosis is more common in old age, though the signs can start as young as adolescence. Can atherosclerosis be prevented? Atherosclerosis prevention is possible by making the right lifestyle changes, such as exercising daily and opting for better food habits. Moreover, one can reduce their risks of contracting atherosclerosis by getting regular heart check-ups and following their medication or treatment plan properly. Read on to find more information about atherosclerosis, its causes, symptoms, treatment and expert advice on atherosclerosis prevention.
Written by
BDS, Assistant Manager (Medical Review)
Reviewed by
MBBS, MD (Pharmacology) Head, Medical Affairs
When you get older, calcium, cholesterol and fats start building up in the arteries and form plaque. This plaque buildup makes it hard for your blood to flow through the arteries. It might occur in any of the arteries, which includes arteries of your kidneys, brain, legs and heart.
Atherosclerosis occurs due to plaque buildup inside the arteries that causes the hardening of the arteries. It restricts blood flow and causes stroke, heart attack and blood clots. Though atherosclerosis is a common condition associated with ageing, it might begin in childhood and keep getting worse with each passing year. Suitable medications and lifestyle changes can help in preventing atherosclerosis.
Arteriosclerosis is a condition where the arteries become hard and stiff mainly due to ageing. While atherosclerosis is a type of arteriosclerosis. Atherosclerosis refers to the buildup of plaque deposits in the walls of blood vessels, resulting in restricted blood flow.
The cases of coronary atherosclerosis have been on the rise in India in the past couple of years. However, it is hard to get an actual figure on the total number of cases because of a lack of case reporting and large-scale studies in this matter. The existing reports have shown that the disease is more common in men than women. The rate of prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis is 78% in males and 66.6% in females.
Atherosclerotic plaque buildup can be divided into four major stages and they are:
Endothelial dysfunction – This essentially means that there are no blockages in the heart artery but instead, the larger blood vessels on the surface of the heart begin to constrict rather than dilate.
Formation of fatty streaks or fatty deposits in the inner coat of the artery – Fatty streaks are generally the first signs of atherosclerosis. These fatty streaks form in the cells which can form plaque and lead to atherosclerosis.
Inflammation reaction – The fatty deposits in the inner wall of the artery start to react with the body and attract inflammatory cells. This causes the plaque build-up to increase.
Formation of smooth muscle cell caps – Smooth muscle cells are those that line the inner parts of hollow organs of the body like the intestines, lungs, arteries, bladder, etc. Smooth muscle cells now begin to form a cap of somewhat a fibrous texture on the plaque surface. The plaque is considered to be stable when the cap is thick, however, when the cap is thin, it increases the risk of rupture.
Furthermore, plaque formation can be divided into three stages, which are:
The fatty streak – the initial stage and one of the earliest signs of atherosclerosis.
Plaque progression – the moderate stage where the plaque builds up is now significant and starting to narrow the arteries.
Plaque disruption – the severe stage where the arteries are almost completely blocked increasing the risk of various atherosclerosis complications such as a heart attack or a stroke.
It is important to take the right steps for preventing atherosclerosis before it reaches the third stage.
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One of the main challenges of atherosclerosis prevention is that the symptoms in most cases do not show until the artery is almost closed or there is a medical emergency like a stroke or heart attack. Signs also depend on the location of the blocked or narrowed artery.
As mentioned briefly earlier, arteriosclerosis is a condition, a broad term to describe the hardening of the arteries over time, primarily due to ageing. Atherosclerosis on the other hand is a type of arteriosclerosis and refers to the buildup of plaque in the arteries causing the arteries to narrow and eventually block blood flow.
Atherosclerosis symptoms usually do not show when it is at their initial or mild stages. It’s only when the artery starts narrowing to a point where it obstructs blood flow to the heart is when symptoms start showing. The symptoms of atherosclerosis usually depend on which arteries in the body are affected. Therefore,
It is important to take the right steps for preventing atherosclerosis on time because failing to do so might lead to several complications. Again, just like the symptoms, the complications that can arise from atherosclerosis depend on the affected arteries in the body.
Atherosclerosis if ignored tends to get worse with each day. So, talk to your doctor if you suspect that you have the disorder. Also, remember to pay close attention to the early signs of obstructed blood flow, such as numbness, leg pain or chest pain.
Early treatment and diagnosis can prevent the disease from getting worse and causing a stroke, heart attack or any other such medical emergency.
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Arteries are the blood vessels that take blood from the heart throughout the body. These are lined by a thin cell layer known as the endothelium. It keeps your blood flowing by keeping the insides of the arteries smooth and in shape. Arteriosclerosis causes stiffness and thickening of the walls of arteries leading to obstruction in blood flow.
Plaque forms a bump on the inner side of the arterial wall. When the condition gets worse, this bump keeps getting bigger. It creates a blockage when it is big enough. Atherosclerosis can affect different blood vessels of your body. Thus, your heart is not the only organ at risk. You are also at high risk for stroke and several other health problems.
Several factors can be attributed as causes of atherosclerosis.
High cholesterol and high triglycerides
Atherosclerosis is associated with high cholesterol and triglycerides. Cholesterol damages endothelium and enters the arterial walls. The white blood cells come in to digest the cholesterol. Gradually, the cholesterol builds up as plaque in the arteries.
Smoking and tobacco use
Smoking is one of the main causes of atherosclerosis because it damages the endothelium, leading to plaque buildup.
Insulin resistance, obesity or diabetes
All these lead to inflammation in the body, which slows down blood flow and increases the risk of atherosclerosis of the aorta.
Inflammation from other diseases such as arthritis, lupus, psoriasis or inflammatory bowel disease
The signs of atherosclerosis can begin when you are young. In fact, even teenagers might have the signs. People who are generally healthy and are above forty years of age have at least a 50% chance of getting the disorder in their lifetime. Atherosclerosis risk factors get higher as you age. Most adults over the age of sixty have some degree of atherosclerosis but most of them do not have noticeable symptoms.
Given below are the atherosclerosis risk factors that you should be aware of:
High cholesterol
High blood pressure
High levels of C-reactive protein or CRP (a marker of inflammation) over a long period of time.
Diabetes or prediabetic
Obesity
Sleep apnea
Smoking and tobacco use
A family history of early heart disease
Lack of exercise
An unhealthy diet
Medical history of chronic inflammatory diseases
Better lifestyle choices and improved treatment facilities have reduced the rates of death and made atherosclerosis prevention possible in the past decade. However, it is still important to be cautious about the given risk factor
The first step to preventing this condition is to understand the risk factors and minimise them As such, there are several ways to diagnose atherosclerosis in India after an individual shows signs of atherosclerosis.
– Presence of any risk factors (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and smoking)
– Symptoms of atherosclerosis (as mentioned above)
If your doctor notices symptoms of atherosclerosis, they will perform physical exams to check for:
Doctors order blood tests to check cholesterol and blood sugar levels in the case of cerebral atherosclerosis. A C-reactive protein (CRP) test might also be carried out to look for the protein that is linked to the inflammation of your arteries.
Doppler ultrasound is a special ultrasound device that measures blood pressure at different points along the leg or arm. The measurements help doctors understand the speed of arterial blood flow and the degree of blockages.
Computerized Tomography (CT) scan is a common test that uses imaging for creating detailed pictures of the heart and detecting the development of atherosclerosis. In patients with cerebral atherosclerosis, it shows calcium deposits present in the artery walls.
It is a test that tells whether you have blockages in the arteries in your feet and legs. During this test, doctors compare the blood pressure in the arm with that in the ankle. Abnormal differences are seen as signs of peripheral vascular diseases (blood circulation disorders that mostly cause leg pain), which are typically indicative of the development of atherosclerosis.
The doctor inserts a flexible, thin tube called a catheter in the blood vessel and to the heart. A type of dye goes through the catheter, which fills the arteries. When the arteries appear on X-ray, the blocked areas are revealed.
The painless and simple test records all the electrical signals in the heart. It can help in identifying the different types of atherosclerosis.
You will have to ride stationary exercise bikes or treadmills while staying connected to an ECG. Exercising makes the heart pump faster and harder than usual. Thus, it can show heart problems like atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis, which might be otherwise missed.
In order to come prepared for your diagnosis, here’s what you need to do:
Look for the following markers in your report to understand your chances of having atherosclerosis:
It usually takes about a day for you to receive the results of the reports. After you receive the results, get in touch with your doctor immediately to understand the diagnosis and right course of treatment for your condition. The medications and treatment will depend upon the types of atherosclerosis.
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If atherosclerosis has progressed to later stages, you should also be prepared for certain complications of atherosclerosis.
Plaque buildup in arteries can lead to blockages in the arteries, which can cause a medical emergency like a heart attack. Also, plaque buildup in arteries that develop from atherosclerosis might behave in various ways.
They might stay in the artery wall, where the plaque builds up but is not big enough to block blood flow, thus no symptoms might ever show up. In other cases, plaques can grow in slow and controlled ways in the path of your blood flow, causing major blockages with time. The usual symptom is pain in the legs or chest while exerting yourself.
According to atherosclerosis pathophysiology, the worst situation is when the plaque ruptures suddenly. It can then form blood clots inside the arteries, a stroke in the brain and a cardiac arrest in the heart.
The plaques can lead to several major types of cardiovascular complications:
Plaque rupture in the arteries of the brain leads to strokes with chances of permanent brain damage. Even temporary blocks in the artery might lead to something known as transient ischemic attacks (occurs when blood flow to part of the brain is blocked by a blood clot that are warning signals of a stroke, which do not cause brain injury).
Stable plaques in the arteries of the heart lead to complications of atherosclerosis like chest pain. Heart muscles die from sudden clotting or rupture of the heart muscles, which is called a heart attack.
Plaques block the blood vessels that ensure blood flow to your brain and that leads to a stroke.
Narrowing arteries in the legs can cause poor circulation, which makes it hard for you to walk. It even makes it hard for wounds to heal. As the disease progresses, one might need an amputation of the limb.
Plaque can cause a bulge in the walls of the arteries, which blocks the blood flow and increases the chances of rupture of the artery.
Atherosclerotic plaque can obstruct the tiny blood vessels of kidneys thereby, causing chronic kidney disease.
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Atherosclerosis treatment involves surgical and invasive procedures and medication, which have been discussed below.
Surgery is one of the surest ways of atherosclerosis treatment if skin tissues or muscles are endangered and the symptoms are severe. There are four possible surgeries to treat the condition:
Percutaneous coronary intervention (a minimal-invasive method that helps with opening up clogged arteries) with an angioplasty involves the use of a balloon and a catheter to expand the artery and insert a stent inside to keep the arteries patent.
It involves utilizing a vessel from anywhere else in the body or a kind of synthetic tube for diverting the passage of blood flow away from narrowed or blocked arteries.
The doctor reaches the arteries in the neck for plaque removal and restores blood flow.
It involves injecting a drug into the affected artery to dissolve the blood clot resulting from plaque in arteries.
Several drugs are available nowadays for atherosclerosis prevention or to reverse the consequences of atherosclerosis.
Doctors might prescribe blood thinners, like aspirin, to bring down the risk factors. It prevents platelets from clumping in narrow arteries, forming blood clots and causing more blockage.
Drugs that lower blood pressure is not meant to reverse atherosclerosis but to treat or prevent complications related to the disorder. For instance, certain medications of blood pressure might help in reducing your risk of a heart attack.
Aggressive lowering of the LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, i.e., the bad cholesterol, can stop, slow or reverse the buildup of plaque in arteries.
Doctors might suggest other medicines for controlling health conditions that increase the risk of the disease, like diabetes. Moreover, particular medications for treating the symptoms of atherosclerosis, like leg pain at the time of exercise, might be prescribed.
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Atherosclerosis prevention involves a series of lifestyle changes that can lower the risk of the disease from occurring or relapsing.
Smoking damages the arteries by causing a buildup of plaque in the arteries. Quitting cigarettes is one of the best steps you can take to keep the arteries healthy and prevent heart complications.
A healthy diet is full of whole grains, vegetables and fruits, which are low in refined carbohydrates, sodium, saturated fat and sugars. Make sure to have fish regularly in your diet to include healthy fat which are 10 fatty foods you should be eating and protein. It will help you to control your blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure and weight.
Also, eat whole grain bread and not white bread to help reverse atherosclerosis. If you are craving a snack in between meals, reach out for healthy options like carrot sticks, bananas and apples.
Regular exercise helps to improve blood flow, lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of conditions that raise the risk of heart disease and atherosclerosis.
Exercise at least three days a week for a minimum of thirty minutes, if not regularly, to help reverse atherosclerosis. If you can’t do thirty minutes at one go, break up a session into ten-minute intervals. Take a walk around the block after lunch or take the stairs rather than the elevator.
Atherosclerosis is a condition in which it is important to maintain a healthy weight and lose extra pounds. When you are overweight, shedding even a few kilos can significantly reduce the risk of high cholesterol and high blood pressure – the biggest risk factors for atherosclerosis. For atherosclerosis prevention, ask your doctor about your target weight.
Avoid skipping your blood pressure medication and regularly monitor your blood pressure. Also, reduce stress in your daily life through different relaxation techniques because it can be a major contributing factor for high blood pressure levels.
If you have high blood sugar or deranged cholesterol levels or any other chronic disease, make sure to discuss that with your doctor. Your doctor will help you in managing the condition and promote general well being.
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You will see significant improvement in your condition with the correct treatment and lifestyle changes. However, atherosclerosis prevention is something that needs serious commitment from your end in terms of changing food habits, regular checkups and daily exercises. When going through the treatment it is important to stick to it and go through it religiously so that you get the best results. There may be times when it gets difficult but in the long run, you will thank yourself for all the effort and time that you have spent on yourself to lead a healthier life.
Medical treatments and lifestyle changes, along with dietary modifications, can be helpful in keeping atherosclerosis from getting worse. Several medicines might be prescribed for increasing your comfort, especially if leg or chest pain is one of the symptoms.
Apart from physical examination, a blood test to check cholesterol and triglycerides, Doppler ultrasound test of heart, CT scan, ankle/brachial index, angiogram of the heart, ECG or EKG tests and stress test can be used to confirm atherosclerosis.
Research has shown that the risk of developing atherosclerosis might be hereditary. However, particular genes that are associated with the risk are yet to be identified. Once that is identified, atherosclerosis prevention is expected to be easier.
The ones with atherosclerosis should opt for heart-healthy diets, which include plenty of fruits, veggies, whole grains, poultry and lean meats, fish, low-fat dairy products, seeds, nuts and legumes (peas and dried beans). Also, try to avoid fast food and oily food in your daily diet.
Atherosclerosis can change your daily life by altering your food habits and making you pay more attention to daily exercises.
Surgeries for atherosclerosis tend to be expensive in India. However, the rates vary from one hospital to another. It helps to have medical insurance for this purpose.
You should consult a cardiologist for the treatment of Atherosclerosis.
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