High blood pressure
Peripheral arterial disease (P.A.D.) occurs if plaque builds up in the major arteries that supply oxygen-rich blood to your legs, arms, and pelvis. If blood flow to these parts of your body is reduced or blocked, you may have numbness, pain, and, sometimes, dangerous infections. 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. As plaque deposits grow, a condition called atherosclerosis results. This condition causes the arteries to narrow and harden. Although experts don’t know for sure what starts atherosclerosis, the process seems to stem from damage to the arterial wall. This damage, which enables the deposition of plaque, may result from: 1 HDL is believed to remove some of the bad cholesterol from plaque in clogged arteries and transport it back to the liver, where it is eliminated. 2  High blood pressure. 3  Having high blood pressure increases the rate at which arterial plaque builds up. 4  It also hastens the hardening of clogged arteries. 5  Cigarette smoke. 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 The Power of Food. Certain foods can cause the body to make too much of a waxy substance called cholesterol. Cholesterol can combine with fat, calcium, and other substances in the blood to form plaque. Plaque then slowly builds up and hardens in the arteries, causing them to narrow. This buildup of plaque, a condition called atherosclerosis, can lead to heart disease, heart attack, and stroke How spot on that article is! What causes arterial plaque is inflammation in the artery walls. Cholesterol attaches itself to injured and inflamed areas of the arteries as part of the body's natural repair system. Without inflammation, there would be no arterial plaque.  1 Having high blood pressure increases the rate at which arterial plaque builds up. 2  It also hastens the hardening of clogged arteries. 3  Cigarette smoke. 4  Cigarette smoke seems to increase the rate of atherosclerosis in the arteries of the heart, legs, and the aorta -- the largest artery in the body. 1 HDL is believed to remove some of the bad cholesterol from plaque in clogged arteries and transport it back to the liver, where it is eliminated. 2  High blood pressure. 3  Having high blood pressure increases the rate at which arterial plaque builds up. 4  It also hastens the hardening of clogged arteries. 5  Cigarette smoke. 7 Things That Cause Plaque Buildup in the Arteries. Plaque buildup in the arteries—called atherosclerosis—causes the arteries to narrow, increasing the risk for heart attack and stroke. But you have the power to prevent, stop, and possibly even reverse plaque buildup with lifestyle changes.  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. Many scientists believe plaque begins to form because the inner lining of the artery, called the endothelium, becomes damaged. Three possible causes of damage to the arterial wall are: 1  Elevated levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. 2  High blood pressure. 3  Cigarette smoking. This is plaque that builds up in arteries-the blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrient-rich blood from your heart to your body’s tissues. Plaque in the arteries is a fatty, waxy substance that forms deposits in the artery wall. These deposits can narrow the artery and reduce blood flow. 
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/atherosclerosis/ http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/clogged-arteries-arterial-plaque http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/atherosclerosis/ http://healthguides.healthgrades.com/taking-cholesterol-seriously/foods-that-cause-plaque-buildup-in-the-arteries http://www.care2.com/news/member/406161137/3126036 http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/clogged-arteries-arterial-plaque http://healthguides.healthgrades.com/taking-cholesterol-seriously/7-things-that-cause-plaque-buildup-in-the-arteries http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/WhyCholesterolMatters/Atherosclerosis_UCM_305564_Article.jsp http://www.secondscount.org/heart-condition-centers/info-detail-2/what-is-arterial-plaque
what causes arterial plaque