Atherosclerosis
is the medical term used to describe hardening of the arteries.
In this condition there is a gradual, often patchy, deposition
of various elements and organic substances, such as fats, cholesterol
and calcium in to the walls of blood vessels. This deposition,
and the associated scarring and spasm can cause a narrowing,
or complete blockage, of the blood vessel. It is found to a
greater or lesser degree in all people over the age of 20 years
and, in some, long before. In its mildest form it can just be
considered a normal part of the ageing progress. In many people,
however, it is premature and severe and is the cause of ischaemic
heart disease, the most common cause of death in the developed
world. Other manifestations include cerebrovascular disease,
which includes stroke, and peripheral arterial disease where
blockage of the arteries to the legs, for example, can cause
intermittent claudication, (cramp in the legs on walking), and
lead, in some cases, to gangrene and loss of limb.
There are numerous factors that can cause, or worsen, atherosclerosis. The main ones are family history, smoking, cholesterol level, diet, stress, raised blood pressure, insufficient exercise and other diseases such as diabetes. Little can be done about family history (you cannot choose your parents) but if you are born into a family with a bad history of arterial disease you should be more careful than the rest in avoiding all the other contributory factors that you can alter.
And Number One of all the factors you can alter is smoking. Smoking is particularly dangerous to people with any kind of arterial disease and it is that risk, rather than the much less common one of lung cancer, that prompts the vast majority of doctors to give up, or not start, the habit. Diet should go with the government guidelines, low on red meat, dairy products, saturated fats, refined carbohydrates, high on fresh fruit, vegetables, fish (especially oily fish), fibre, olive oil…the so-called Mediterranean diet. Everybody should take some exercise, should know whether or not they have high blood pressure, and, at some time get their cholesterol checked. Doctors deal with atherosclerosis particularly from the point of view of health education but, although no substitute for a healthy life style, drugs, such as statins, can be used to drop cholesterol in those particularly at risk. |
