Arteriosclerosis

One of the characteristics of human aging is the progressive hardening of the artery walls. This could be considered as a normal. But in some people, this physiological development can become a pathological process by which the artery narrows progressively until even lead to occlusion, with subsequent reduction or cessation of blood flow.

Arteriosclerosis is a generic term in which many, of which the most common pathological processes include far has a very similar name: Atherosclerosis. And usually, both terms are often used indiscriminately; although usually always refer to the second.

The progressive narrowing of the arteries is a slow, general and no specific cure process.

Causes, symptoms and treatment

We can not talk about a particular case because the etiology is unclear. It is a degenerative disease in which it is known that involves a number of risk factors; which include smoking, increased fat or cholesterol, blood sugar or diabetes, and high blood pressure or hypertension. It is a widespread disease, and symptoms will depend on the arterial territory is affected are the following:

On the one hand the arteries of the heart or coronary arteries. Atherosclerosis can cause angina and myocardial infarction. On the other hand, the arteries to the brain, whether as intracranial Extra. The symptom is the stroke or the famous stroke; whether mild as more serious as a stroke or transient ischemic attack.

And third leg arteries. The symptoms can range from intermittent claudication or showcase disease to more serious conditions such as gangrene.

There is no cure, but you have to take a number of important measures to improve the prognosis: quit, well control risk factors like cholesterol, diabetes and hypertension, and the patient will probably antiplatelet medication as and aspirin or similar drugs to reduce fat. The ideal is to prevent, detect few before the disease and to prevent the first symptoms.