Atherosclerosis

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Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a potentially serious disease in which the arteries become clogged with fatty substances called plaques or atheromas.
These plaques cause the arteries to harden and narrow, restricting blood flow and oxygen supply to vital organs and increasing the risk of blood clots that can potentially block blood flow to the heart or brain.
Atherosclerosis usually does not show up with symptoms at first, and many people do not know they have it. But when it worsens, it can eventually cause life-threatening problems such as heart attacks and strokes.
However, with a healthy lifestyle, the disease is largely preventable, and treatment can reduce the risk of serious problems.

Health risks of atherosclerosis

If atherosclerosis continues to worsen, it can lead to a number of serious conditions known as cardiovascular disease (CVD). Until CVD develops, there are usually no symptoms.

Types of CVD include:

coronary artery disease - the main arteries that supply your heart (the coronary arteries) become clogged with plaques angina - brief, dull or severe chest pain caused by coronary artery disease that may precede a heart attack heart attack - when the blood supply to your heart is blocked, resulting in sudden, squeezing or indigestion-like chest pain that may radiate to nearby areas, as well as shortness of breath and dizziness Stroke - when the blood supply to your brain is cut off, causing your face to droop on one side, weakness on one side of your body, and slurred speech Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) - when temporary symptoms of stroke occur Peripheral artery disease - when the blood supply to your legs is cut off, causing leg pain when you walk
Who is at risk for atherosclerosis
Exactly why and how arteries become clogged is unclear.
It can affect anyone, but the following things can increase your risk:

increasing age smoking an unhealthy, high-fat diet lack of exercise being overweight or obese regular excessive alcohol consumption other conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes a family history of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease South Asian, African or African-Caribbean ancestry
You can not do anything about some of these factors, but if you address things like unhealthy diet and lack of exercise, you can reduce your risk for atherosclerosis and CVD.

Learn more about the risk factors for CVD

Get tested for atherosclerosis

Talk to your GP if you are concerned that you may be at high risk for atherosclerosis.

If you are between 40 and 74 years old, you should have an NHS health check every 5 years, which includes tests to see if you are at risk of atherosclerosis and CVD.

Your GP or physician assistant can determine your level of risk, taking into account factors such as:

your age, gender and ethnicity Your weight and height, whether you smoke or used to smoke, whether there is a history of CVDin your family, your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, whether you have certain long-term conditions
Depending on the results, you may be advised to make lifestyle changes, consider taking medications, or undergo further testing to screen for atherosclerosis and CVD.

Reduce your risk for atherosclerosis

A healthy lifestyle can reduce your risk for developing atherosclerosis and prevent the disease from getting worse.
The main ways you can reduce your risk are:
stop smoking - you can contact the NHS Smokefree helpline on 0300 123 1044 or find out more about smoking cessation therapies at GP; read more smoking cessation advice. Eat a healthy diet - avoid foods high in saturated fat, salt or sugar and eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day if possible; read more advice on healthy eating. Exercise regularly - aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity such as cycling or fast walking per week and do strength exercises at least 2 days per week. Maintain a healthy weight - aim for a body mass index (BMI) of 18.5 to 24.9. Use the Healthy Weight BMI Calculator to determine your BMI and read the weight loss advice. Moderate your alcohol intake - Men and women are advised to regularly drink no more than 14 units of alcohol per week; get tips on how to reduce your alcohol intake

Treatments for atherosclerosis

There are currently no treatments that can reverse atherosclerosis, but the healthy lifestyle changes suggested above can help prevent the disease from getting worse.

Sometimes additional treatments are also recommended to reduce the risk of problems such as heart attacks and strokes, such as
statins for high cholesterol - read more about treating high cholesterol medications for high blood pressure - read more about treating high blood pressure medications to reduce the risk of blood clots - such as low-dose aspirin or clopidogrel dietary changes and medications for diabetes - read