Saturday, May 18, 2013

Cholesterol: Stroke, Brain Function

Table of Contents

Complications


Heart Disease

Coronary artery blockage
Atherosclerosis is a common disorder of the arteries. Fat, cholesterol, and other substances collect in the walls of arteries. Larger accumulations are called atheromas or plaque and can damage artery walls and block blood flow. Severely restricted blood flow in the heart muscle leads to symptoms such as chest pain.

Unhealthy cholesterol, particularly low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, forms a fatty substance called plaque, which builds up on the arterial walls of the heart. Smaller plaques remain soft, but older, larger plaques tend to develop fibrous caps with calcium deposits.

Developmental process of atherosclerosis Click the icon to see an image of the developmental process of atherosclerosis.

The long-term result is atherosclerosis, commonly called hardening of the arteries. The heart is endangered in two ways by this process:

  • Eventually these calcified and inelastic arteries become narrower (a condition known as stenosis). As this process continues, blood flow slows and prevents sufficient oxygen-rich blood from reaching the heart. This condition leads to angina (chest pain) and, in severe cases, to heart attack.
Acute MI Click the icon to see an image of a heart attack.
  • Smaller unstable plaques may rupture, triggering the formation blood clots on their surface. The blood clots block the arteries and are important causes of heart attack.
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Review Date: 04/06/2010
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)