Plaque
The hardening of the arteries or atherosclerosis is a cardiovascular disease in which the innermost layer of the artery thickens and attracts deposits of fat or plaque. Over time, plaque eventually protrudes into the artery and interferes with blood flow.  Several different conditions can cause hardening of the arteries. In most cases, it is caused by atherosclerosis, a disease caused by the slow buildup of plaque on the inside walls of the arteries. Atherosclerosis is hardening and narrowing of medium-size and larger blood vessels, such as the aorta and those found in the heart (coronary arteries), brain, and legs. Atherosclerosis is by far the most common type of hardening of the arteries. It is caused by the slow buildup of plaque on the inside walls of Secondly, hardening of the arteries causes the artery to narrow or block off completely. If an artery is narrowed or blocked then the effects of this will depend on which artery is affected. If the arteries to the legs are affected, then this can cause intermittent claudication-a pain in the legs on exercising. If this part of the brain controls movement of the right arm, then paralysis of the right arm will result. If the arteries to the heart are affected this can cause angina (chest pain) or a heart attack. In the kidneys hardening of the arteries can cause kidney failure and high blood pressure (hypertension). When the arteries of the heart (coronary arteries) are affected by arteriosclerosis, the person can develop angina, heart attack, congestive heart failure, or abnormal cardiac rhythms (because of coronary artery disease). When the arteries of the brain (cerebral arteries) are affected by arteriosclerosis, the person can develop a threatened stroke, called transient ischemic attack, or actual death of brain tissue, called stroke. Hardening of the arteries is a progressive condition that may begin in childhood. In this article. Atherosclerosis -- hardening and narrowing of the arteries -- gets a lot of bad press but with good reason. This progressive process silently and slowly blocks arteries, putting blood flow at risk. Atherosclerosis is the usual cause of heart attacks, strokes, and peripheral vascular disease -- what together are called  cardiovascular disease .. The plaques of atherosclerosis cause the three main kinds of cardiovascular disease 1  : Coronary artery disease: Stable plaques in the heart's arteries cause angina (chest pain on exertion). 2  Sudden plaque rupture and clotting causes heart muscle to die. 3  This is a heart attack, or myocardial infarction Atherosclerosis is a disease in which plaque builds up inside your arteries. Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood to your heart and other parts of your body. Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood. Over time, plaque hardens and narrows your arteries. This limits the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your organs and other parts of your body. Atherosclerosis can lead to serious problems, including heart attack, stroke, or even death. Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is a condition in which plaque builds up inside the arteries. Plaque is made of cholesterol, fatty substances, cellular waste products, calcium and fibrin (a clotting material in the blood). Atherosclerosis is a type of arteriosclerosis. Some of the diseases that may develop as a result of atherosclerosis include coronary heart disease, angina (chest pain), carotid artery disease, peripheral artery disease (PAD) and chronic kidney disease. Two things that can happen where plaque occurs are: 1  A piece of the plaque may break off. Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart to other parts of the body. Hardening of the arteries (also known as arteriosclerosis) is a condition that causes blood vessels in the body to harden and thicken. The condition is most often caused by the slow buildup of plaque on the inside walls of the arteries. Atherosclerosis is hardening and narrowing of medium-size and larger blood vessels, such as the aorta and those found in the heart (coronary arteries), brain, and legs. Atherosclerosis is by far the most common type of hardening of the arteries. It is caused by the slow buildup of plaque on the inside walls of
http://www.wikihow.com/Prevent-Hardening-of-the-Arteries http://heart.emedtv.com/hardening-of-the-arteries/hardening-of-the-arteries.html http://www.vascular.co.nz/hardening_of_the_arteries.htm http://www.emedicinehealth.com/hardening_of_the_arteries/article_em.htm http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/what-is-atherosclerosis?OVNDID=ND1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001224/ http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/WhyCholesterolMatters/Atherosclerosis_UCM_305564_Article.jsp http://heart.emedtv.com/hardening-of-the-arteries/hardening-of-the-arteries.html
what causes arteries to harden