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Atherosclerosis Research Paper

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Arteriosclerosis is a disease of the arteries that carry blood and oxygen from the heart to the rest of the body. During this process, the arteries become hard and thick due to plaque buildup from high fat and cholesterol in the blood. The arteries affected by this disease are not able to pump blood and oxygen efficiently to the rest of the body, Causes of atherosclerosis include high BP, high fat diet, diabetes, smoking and inflammation. When an artery gets injured or damaged, platelets build up at the injury site. Over time, especially in a high fat diet, cholesterol and plaque build up in the artery also. The buildup of all of these substances results in the artery not being able to pump blood and oxygen to the rest of the body because of the narrowing of the artery. The organs that are connected to these arteries do not get the proper perfusion that they need to function and begin to shut down over time. At …show more content…
High blood pressure and cholesterol, obesity and a family history are a few risk factors for this disease. While these arteries are being affected and clogged up by fat and plaque, there can be some serious complications that come after. Coronary artery disease, narrowing of the arteries in the heart, can result in heart attack or heart failure. Peripheral artery disease, the narrowing of arteries in your arms and legs, can lead to tissue death due to poor circulation. There are a few symptoms that can be caught early in order to prevent or detect atherosclerosis in the early stages. Chest pain, angina, could be a sign of atherosclerosis in the arteries in the heart. If you experience numbness or weakness, drooping in the face, or slurred speech could be a sign of a plaque buildup in the arteries going to the brain. Leg pain is a sign of atherosclerosis in the arteries in the legs. These symptoms wont usually show up until there is minimal blood supply to the organs and

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