Atherosclerosis Essay

1. Atherosclerosis is a disease of large and medium-sized muscular arteries
Characteristics:
 endothelial dysfunction
 vascular inflammation
 buildup of lipids, cholesterol, calcium and cellular debris within the intima of the blood vessel wall.
 The build up results in atheroma (plaque formation). It is a fatty deposit in the intima of an artery, resulting from atherosclerosis.
Atheroma/Plaque is made up of:
 fatty substances
 Cholesterol
 Waste products from cells
 Calcium
 Fibrin

2. Atherosclerosis develops when the normally smooth, muscular lining of the artery is damaged.
This damage may be caused by:
 smoking
 High cholesterol
 High blood pressure
 Other risk factors
The white blood cells that
Modifiable Risk Factors
-Stress –sympathetic response stimulation causes increased secretion of catecholamines resulting to vasoconstriction and tachycardia, increased BP and increased cardiac workload
Smoking – tobacco decreases HDL, increases LDL, increases CO in the blood which may increase the risk of injury to blood vessel walls, vasoconstrictor, increased rate of platelet adhesion
-Diet – as discussed earlier, diet high in Saturated and Trans-Fat increases the risk for atherosclerosis, and diet high in MUFA / PUFA decreases the risk for atherosclerosis
-Hypertension – prolonged/uncontrolled elevation of BP can subject the arterial walls to injury causing development of atherosclerosis, hypertension is also associated with vasoconstriction.
-Obesity – increases the risk of other risk factors for atherosclerosis like hypertension, type 2 DM and hypercholesterolemia. Losing weight reduces the risk for the said