Atherosclerosis — also known as coronary artery disease, limits blood flow in your arteries — which carry blood to your heart muscle, which can lead to heart attack, abnormal heart rhythms or even fatal heart failure.

Doctors say this happens because over time, plaque – which includes cholesterol build-up in these arteries, limits how much blood can reach your heart muscle. And so, “arteriosclerosis (occurs) when the arteries, which transport oxygen and nutrients from the heart to the body, become thick and inflexible, which can limit blood flow to organs and tissues. Normally, arteries are flexible and pliable, but over time, they can harden, leading to what is commonly called hardening of the arteries,” Dr. Samanjoy Mukherjee, Consultant, Senior Interventional Cardiologist, Cardiac Sciences, Manipal Hospitals told Times Now.

According to Dr Mukherjee, atherosclerosis also ruptures arteries, leading to blood clots. “Although it is often associated with cardiovascular problems, atherosclerosis can affect arteries anywhere in the body,” he said.

Why is atherosclerosis called the silent killer?

Atherosclerosis is one of the biggest causes of heart disease and is known as the “silent killer” because plaque on artery walls can accumulate for many years without causing any symptoms. “Mild atherosclerosis usually causes no symptoms, and they usually only appear when the artery becomes so narrowed or blocked that it can’t carry enough blood to organs and tissues. Sometimes, a blood clot can completely obstruct blood flow, potentially leading to a heart attack or stroke,” Dr. Mukherjee said.

Understand Signs and Symptoms of Atherosclerosis

Doctors say atherosclerosis is a huge public health issue because people who smoke, are obese or have diabetes know they are at risk, but others wrongly believe they are fine and may not realise this silent disease is damaging their bodies.

Some symptoms of moderate to severe atherosclerosis vary depending on the arteries affected:

• If atherosclerosis affects the arteries of your heart, you may experience chest pain or pressure — called angina
• When it affects the arteries of your brain, its symptoms include sudden numbness or weakness in your arms or legs, difficulty speaking, slurred speech, temporary vision loss in one eye or facial drooping, indicating a transient ischemic attack (TIA), which, if left untreated, can lead to a life-threatening stroke
• In the arteries of your arms and legs, it can cause peripheral artery disease, which can have symptoms such as leg pain or claudication when walking or low blood pressure in the affected limb
• If it affects your kidney arteries, you could have high blood pressure or kidney failure.

Risk factors and prevention

Understanding and managing risk factors plays an important role in preventing atherosclerosis, some of which are:

• high cholesterol levels, which contribute to plaque buildup
• high blood pressure
• Smoking damages the lining of the arteries
• high blood sugar level that damages the blood vessels
• Obesity and weight gain
• not getting enough exercise
• not sleeping well
• anemia

How to prevent risk factors?

According to Dr Mukherjee, preventive measures include a healthy diet with an emphasis on fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat proteins. Also, “exercising regularly and managing body weight. Keeping blood pressure under control. Quitting smoking and staying away from tobacco reduces the risk significantly,” he added.

If you have risk factors, make sure to monitor cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels regularly and get regular checkups in case of anomalies. Medications play an important role in the treatment of atherosclerosis. Medications for high cholesterol and blood pressure can slow down or even stop plaque formation and thus reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. “Diabetes should be kept under control with the use of appropriate medications as diabetes is one of the underlying causes for increased risk of atherosclerosis,” he added.

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