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Arteriosclerosis
Medical Questions » Arteriosclerosis
| Name: Arteriosclerosis |
| Also known as: Atherosclerosis; Hardening of the Arteries |
| Degeneration of the arteries in the body, making them hard and inelastic. Usually associated with atherosclerosis, the excessive deposition of hard fatty plaques and nodules within the artery and its wall. |
Causes of Arteriosclerosis
Usually occurs in the elderly, and those who have a high blood level of cholesterol. May also be caused and aggravated by high blood pressure. Hard fatty deposits form at points of turbulence within a major artery (eg. the junction of two arteries, or a bend in the artery) to narrow the artery and gradually restrict the flow of blood to the tissues beyond. |
Symptoms of Arteriosclerosis
Depends which arteries are affected. An affected artery is less able to
cope with pressure changes and more likely to rupture, causing a leak of blood, sometimes into vital structures such as the brain. Patients cannot cope with sudden changes in position (eg. getting out of bed) without becoming dizzy or light-headed. If the leg arteries are involved, the leg muscles become
painful, particularly when climbing slopes or stairs. If heart arteries are involved, angina occurs. If arteries to the brain are involved, the patient may develop a multitude of bizarre symptoms, become light headed, dizzy, confused, or black out as the brain does not receive sufficient blood to operate correctly. |
Tests for Arteriosclerosis
Diagnosed by Doppler flow (ultrasound) studies on the movement of blood through arteries, and by angiosperms (artery X-rays) in which an X-ray visible dye is injected to outline an artery. Cholesterol levels can be checked by a fasting blood test. |
Treatment for Arteriosclerosis
Better prevented than treated, by keeping cholesterol levels and blood pressure within normal limits. Narrowed arteries can be opened slightly with medications that relax the muscles in the artery walls, or that ease the passage of blood cells through the narrowing. There are three types of surgery possible:
1. bypass grafts use tubes of synthetic material, or arteries or veins from elsewhere in the body, to bypass the blocked area.
2. endarterectomy involves opening the blocked artery and cleaning out the fatty deposits.
3. balloon angioplasty is used to dilate blocked arteries by passing a fine tube, with a deflated balloon at the end, along an artery and into the narrowed segment where the balloon is inflated, forcing open the blockage. Sometimes a stent (tube shaped metal grid) is left behind to keep the artery open.
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Complications of Arteriosclerosis of its treatment
An embolism occurs when a piece of the hard fat within the artery, breaks away, and travels with the blood along the arteries to a point which is too narrow for it to pass. This causes no problem in most parts of the body, but if the blockage is in the heart or brain, a heart attack or stroke will occur. |
Likely Outcome of Arteriosclerosis
Medication can help many cases. Surgery can be extremely successful in curing the condition. |
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