Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis (from Greek - athero: fat, sclero: hardening) is a build-up of fatty deposits that block vessels, which can cause trauma to the body. It is mainly found in people with a poor diet and obese people as well.

Causes


 * Diet lacking High Density Lipoproteins (HDLs)
 * Gross intake of fatty products
 * Bradycardia (slow heart rate)

Pathophysiology

Atherosclerosis occurs mainly when a person has a high number of Low Density Lipoproteins (LDLs), which are more dangerous than HDLs. This is because LDLs are not as effective as HDLs in removing cholesterol from the body compared to HDLs. As a result, cholesterol may be build up in some areas of the body, for example in blood vessels. If this build-up continues, then platelets may adhese onto it, thereby solidifying this clot further. This results in a decrease in the amount of blood that the affected vessel can be ave to provide to its area. In worse cases, it may cause diseases such as Myocardial Infarction.