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What is atherosclerosis?
Atherosclerosis (what is commonly called hardening of the arteries) is the deposit of fat and cholesterol plaques in the arteries.
Atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries (coronary artery disease or CAD) is seen in angina and a heart attack, depending upon the severity of the process. The atherosclerosis process begins at a young age and progresses during the aging process. Atherosclerosis gets rapidly worse, even among young people, if one or more coronary risk factors are present.
Many disorders and conditions that we call coronary risk factors can increase your chances of developing a heart attack. Some coronary risk factors are unavoidable, but you can easily modify and even eliminate many others. It’s important to emphasize that all coronary risk factors have cumulative effects, and many individuals have multiple risk factors. Typically, many obese people have high BP, elevated blood cholesterol, and diabetes, and a sedentary (inactive) lifestyle may worsen all of these conditions.
All coronary risk factors have cumulative effects.
