Atherosclerosis

An inflammatory disease in the walls of the blood vessels (arteries) and is a major cause of heart disease and stroke. The term "atherosclerosis" literally means "hardening of the arteries". Healthy arteries are flexible and smooth-walled, allowing blood to flow through easily. Arteries affected by atherosclerosis become stiff, inflexible and narrowed by deposits of fatty cholesterol containing "plaque".

This plaque destabilises the lining of the artery and can lead to the formation of blood clots within the blood vessel (atherothrombosis). These clots can then either block the artery and hence, blood supply, or break off and flow downstream in the blood, lodging in a smaller blood vessel (embolism). Either of these events (atherothrombosis or embolism) can cause a heart attack or stroke.