What Is Atherosclerosis?

High Cholesterol Could Lead to Atherosclerosis If Not Addressed

Persistently high cholesterol levels can have dire consequences if not treated including a condition called atherosclerosis. Also known as “hardening of the arteries,” atherosclerosis occurs when cholesterol and other lipids accumulate on the endothelial surfaces of the arteries. Although it has no symptoms, atherosclerosis can lead to a heart attack, a stroke and even death.

What Happens During Atherosclerosis?

During atherosclerosis, excess cholesterol and other lipids circulating in the blood will bind to damaged areas of the endothelium. These lipids will enter into the area of the damaged vessel and deposit there. Inflammatory cells, like macrophages, will also enter the damaged area, causing inflammation and engulfing the lipids. As a result, the macrophages will often have a foamy appearance, earning them the name “foam cell.”

As the lipids begin to accumulate on the endothelial surface, a thick plaque will form. This plaque will eventually narrow the affected vessel, restricting blood flow -– as well as oxygen and other nutrients –- to important areas of the body, including:

• the brain (cerebrovascular disease)
• the heart (coronary heart disease)
• the extremities (peripheral vascular disease)

The plaque can also become unstable and rupture, breaking off and traveling to another area of the body. This can completely occlude the vessel and can be debilitating, depending upon the area of the body affected. This is often referred to as a cholesterol embolism.

How Do I Know If I Have Atherosclerosis?

Just like with high cholesterol, no symptoms are directly caused by atherosclerosis. In most cases, people aren’t even aware that they have atherosclerosis until they have their first heart attack or stroke.

Atherosclerosis isn’t restricted to the elderly, either. It can begin to form at any age. The beginnings of atherosclerosis -- referred to as a fatty streak -– can be noted as early ad childhood and adolescence. Therefore, you could have this silent killer lurking inside of you and not even know it.

Things You Can Do About It

While this condition can be deadly, its progression can be slowed and even prevented. In fact, most of the same lifestyle changes you make towards lowering your cholesterol will also reduce the plaque formation of atherosclerotic plaques, including:

• smoking cessation
• lowering stress in your life
• getting your cholesterol checked
• decreasing saturated fat and trans fat intake
• reducing high blood pressure

_Sources:

Beers MH, Porter RS, Jones TV. Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy. 18th edition, 2006.

Fauci AC, Kasper DL, Longo DL et al. Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th edition, 2008.

Kumar V, Abbas AK, and Fausto N. Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease. 7th edition. Elsevier Saunders, Philadelphia PA, 2005.