Hardening Of The Arteries (arteriosclerosis): Symptoms And Treatment

arteriosclerosis, also known colloquially as hardening of the arteries, is a progressive disease of the arteries that can trigger a heart attack. It is therefore important to know the risk factors and to protect the blood vessels accordingly. Find out more about this topic today. 

Atherosclerosis is a slow disease of the arteries that causes cholesterol to build up on the walls of the arteries. This is why one often speaks of hardening of the arteries. As a result, the arteries become stiff and narrow, which increases the risk of blockage.

This disease can cause a heart attack or a stroke. For this reason, it is extremely important to take proper care of your arteries and keep them healthy. But first, you need to know all of the major risk factors for arterial disease:

• obesity
• High cholesterol
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Smoke

It is a pathology that develops slowly  and can begin at a young age. It does not cause any specific symptoms and is therefore very difficult to spot. A diagnosis can only be made on the basis of a blood analysis or if it triggers other diseases.

Although it is a  typical disease in industrialized countries (the leading cause of death),  more and more people in developing countries are also suffering from it. This is why atherosclerosis is one of the most common causes of death here too. It is also important to mention that men are more often affected than women. 

How does hardening of the arteries develop?

Arterial changes occur when lipids, such as cholesterol and triglycerides, adhere to the walls of blood vessels. Inflammatory cells also accumulate, which are found in the blood called leukocytes (white blood cells). These are important, but harmful in excess.

Atherosclerotic plaques can develop from deposits on the arterial walls. This is the name given to inflammatory changes in the blood vessels that contain cholesterol and calcium, among other things.

In some cases, the atherosclerotic debris can break open and form a blood clot,  which clogs the arteries and can lead to a heart attack as the blood flow is interrupted.

Symptoms that could indicate hardening of the arteries

As mentioned earlier, this condition does not cause symptoms or clear signs, and this is where the greatest danger lies. Symptoms only arise when the arterial constriction has progressed  and therefore circulatory disorders occur in various organs or body tissues.

The symptoms of moderate to severe atherosclerosis depend on which arteries are affected. Some examples are:

• Coronary artery: Affected patients may feel pain or pressure in the chest. These are typical signs of angina.
• Cerebral artery: In this case, affected patients often experience sudden weakness in the extremities, speech difficulties, or temporary loss of vision in one eye. Temporary, unilateral paralysis of one of the facial muscles could also occur. These symptoms indicate a possible transient ischemic attack (TIA) that must be treated appropriately to prevent a stroke.
• Arteries of the extremities:  Affected people may feel pain in their legs when walking, for example.

• Renal artery:  Atherosclerosis in the renal arteries can lead to increased blood pressure or renal insufficiency.

Atherosclerosis: treatment

In order to treat arteriosclerosis,  a detailed examination is first carried out by the specialist, who then shows the patient appropriate recommendations and therapy options. These depend, among other things, on age, health, the location of the injury, etc.

In addition, there are general measures that  all affected patients can put into practice. First and foremost are various lifestyle habits, such as diet, which can help reduce cholesterol levels. In addition, those affected should give up tobacco if necessary and exercise more.

Second  , if necessary, patients are prescribed pharmacological treatment,  which consists of anticoagulant drugs to prevent blood clots from forming.

In addition come platelet inhibitor used to prevent the clumping of platelets. Other drugs that are used for atherosclerosis are blood pressure and cholesterol-lowering drugs.

Thirdly, it should be mentioned that in some cases surgical intervention is necessary. There are two techniques that are mostly used in this case:

• Angioplasty: With this procedure, narrowed or blocked blood vessels are widened or opened.
• Coronary artery bypass: In patients suffering from angina pectoris, if the coronary artery is narrowed or blocked, a bypass is used to ensure blood flow.

Finally, we would like to emphasize  that hardening of the arteries is one of those diseases that can be prevented. Lifestyle plays a particularly important role in preventive care: you should therefore exercise regularly, eat a healthy and balanced diet and break bad habits! You will benefit from this in many ways.