Atherosclerosis is a condition that affects the arterial blood vessels and is caused by formation of multiple plaques (accumulations of deposits) in the inner linings of the arteries. It is often referred to as 'furring' of the arteries.
Atherosclerosis is a specific form of arteriosclerosis, which is a general term describing the hardening and loss of elasticity of medium or large arteries (from the Latin, 'arterio' meaning artery and 'sclerosis' meaning hardening). Atherosclerosis is a hardening of the artery specifically due to an atheromatous plaque (from the Latin, 'athero' meaning 'porridge').
These deposits cause the arteries to silt up like a river, restricting the supply of blood (and thus oxygen and nourishment) to the body's various organs. Although atherosclerosis develops in everybody to a certain degree as they get older, it can be a killer disease if it develops prematurely, and is the major cause of death in both the UK and the US. It is considered the major underlying cause of heart attacks, various heart diseases (such as congestive heart failure) and most cardiovascular diseases.
In this section, you can learn about how the condition develops, its symptoms and diagnosis, along with details about the methods of its treatment.
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