Atherosclerosis

Question: Atherosclerosis? What is scientific reseach doing about angina after bypass surgery? Please Help me!!!!!

Answer: Atherosclerosis is a disease affecting arterial blood vessels. It is a chronic inflammatory response in the walls of arteries, in large part to the deposition of lipoproteins (plasma proteins that carry cholesterol and triglycerides). It is commonly referred to as a "hardening" or "furring" of the arteries. It is caused by the formation of multiple plaques within the arteries.

Question: What is the difference between an atheroma, atherosclerosis and ischaemic heart disease? What is the difference between an atheroma, atherosclerosis and ischaemic heart disease?

Answer: Andy H, Atheroma is a fatty deposit in the intima, which is the inner lining, of an artery. Atherosclerosis is the progressive narrowing and hardening of the arteries over time. This is known to occur to some degree with aging, but other risk factors that accelerate this process have been identified. These factors include: high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes and family history for atherosclerotic disease. A multitude of factors are responsible for the development of Ischaemic Heart Disease. The major risk factors are smoking, diabetes mellitus and cholesterol levels. Those with Hypercholesterolaemia (elevated blood levels of cholesterol) have a much higher tendency to develop the disease. There is also the theory that Hypertension is a risk factor in the development of Ischaemic Heart Disease, Genetic and hereditary factors may also be responsible for the disease. Males are more prone to Ischaemic Heart Disease. However, in post-menopausal women, the risk is almost similar to that of men. Stress is also thought to be a risk factor, though there has been a great deal of debate on this factor of late. The disease process occurs when an atheromatous plaque forms in the coronary vessels, leading to narrowing of the vessel walls and obstructing blood flow to the musculature of the heart. Complete blockage results in deficient oxygenation and nutrient supply to the heart tissues, leading to damage, death and necrosis of the tissue, which is known as Myocardial Infarction (heart attack). ALL ANSWERS SHOULD BE THOROUGHLY RESEARCHED, IN ANY FORUM AND ESPECIALLY IN THIS ONE. - MANY ANSWERS ARE FLAWED. It is extremely important to obtain an accurate diagnosis before trying to find a cure. Many diseases and conditions share common symptoms. The information provided here should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Hope this helps matador 89

Question: How many people are affected by atherosclerosis? Approximately, how many people in the U.S. are affected by atherosclerosis? I have a science project and my teacher requested this information. Please tell me where you got the information also. Please and thank you!

Answer: about 4.6 million in the US. This site has all the statistics http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/a/atherosclerosis/stats.htm

Question: What is the relationship between the atherosclerosis and hypertension? Studies have shown that atherosclerosis can lead to hypertension. What is the relationship between the two

Answer: blood flow is related by the following Darcy's law. (if you are an physicist/engineer, it is pretty much the same as ohm's law q=p/r flow is q, p is pressure, r is resistance in atherosclerosis, there are hard plaques that form inside the vessel, making them very stiff and harder to stretch, so the resistance(the 'r') will increase. bcos they are indirectly proportional, the flow will decrease;pressure needed to generate the same amount of flow will have to INCREASE in order to maintain the SAME flow eventually this compensatory mechanism can wear our and lead to main other condtions like heart attack, stroke, kidney problems, eye problems, diabetes...

Question: Will I develop atherosclerosis even if my blood cholesterol is low? I am 40 and have been eating fatty fast-food several times a week for at least 20 years. My blood cholesterol profile has been outstanding for many years. I am not overweight by any means (slender), do not smoke, and drink on an occasional basis, and I get a yearly physical. I am pretty sedentary, but exercise maybe one or twice a week on the average. Will I still develop atherosclerosis (clogging of the ateries) even though my blood cholesterol profile is good?

Answer: Cholesterol is only one thing that can contribute to coronary disease. Other risk factors include being male, African American, overweight, family history, diabetic, elevated cholesterol, sedentary, and others. Some people have heart disease that have none of these. It is a disease that crosses all barriers. The best thing that we can do is to try to take care of ourselves and have regular check-ups.

Question: Is there any connection between atherosclerosis and multiple sclerosis? I know atherosclerosis is the build of fat in arteries which becomes hard and MS is the the degeneration of the myelin sheath in nerve cells. Just wondering because the both have sclerosis in their names?

Answer: They both have "sclerosis" in the name because "sclerosis" literally means "scars." Atherosclerosis means "scars of the arteries" or "arterial scars"while Multiple Sclerosis means "many scars." The hard plaques that form within arteries are similar to the hard plaques that form in the areas where myelin has been destroyed by white blood cells.

Question: How will atherosclerosis affect the patient’s mental or psychological outlook? How will atherosclerosis affect the patient’s mental or psychological outlook? Will it affect body image? Lifestyle? Social life? Ability to work and/or take care of the home and family? Will it affect relationships with others? What about leisure time - will it be altered or affected?

Answer: Any sudden or chronic illness can alter one's psychological outlook. Depression is common in these situations. Depending on the severity, depression can affected any aspect of one's life.

Question: Has anyone with atherosclerosis dissolved the plaque? I was wondering if anyone with atherosclerosis was successful at dissolving the plaque, with a strict low fat high fiber diet coupled with a hard exercise routine? I have seen how the body can heal its self I was wondering if this is the case too? Havent been to the doctor yet but I know I got it. Would like to hear if anyone who has it was able to dissolve the plaque without medicine or surgery.

Answer: Everyone not a new born has it, its how your diet is, how your cholesterol are, even genetics play a role in the amt. of plague. Your goal is to keep the #s low by diet, medicines, exercise. You should know your cholesterol # to determine you effort or need. Doctors now do believe you can reverse not only the #s but also the amount of plague already in your system.

Question: What are the immune response in atherosclerosis? Can one say that atherosclerosis is an autoimmune deficiency?

Answer: When the body senses the presence of bacteria or pathogen, the immune system is activated, the inflammation process that occurs has been linked to an increase of plaque formation or atherosclerosis. So no actually it is not an autoimmune deficiency but actually may be caused by an autoimmune reaction. Reduction of the autoimmune response, according to the attached article, will cause a decrease in the plaque formation.

Question: How does Atherosclerosis affect circulatory system ? Atherosclerosis is a disorder in which deposits of cholesterol and fatty acids collect on the inner walls of the arteries. How does this disorder affect the circulatory system?

Answer: Well it makes it hard for the blood to flow through the areas where the deposits have collected. So If the blood can't get through the area will eventually die off. Causing lots of problems. People have to get stints and all other kinds of surgery to fix the problem,and it causes death in severe cases.

Question: Why is the heart more vulnerable to atherosclerosis? I know what atherosclerosis is. I asked this question already and only got a definition of the disease. I need to know WHY the heart is more vulnerable to this disease University level answer and leave reference

Answer: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in the United States for men and women. Many things increase your risk for heart disease: * Men in their 40s have a higher risk of CHD than women. But as women get older (especially after they reach menopause), their risk increases to almost equal that of a man's risk. See: Heart disease and women * Bad genes (heredity) can increase your risk. You are more likely to develop the condition if someone in your family has had a history of heart disease -- especially if they had it before age 50. Your risk for CHD goes up the older you get. * Diabetes is a strong risk factor for heart disease. * High blood pressure increases your risk of coronary artery disease and heart failure. * Abnormal cholesterol levels: your LDL ("bad") cholesterol should be as low as possible, and your HDL ("good") cholesterol should be as high as possible. * Metabolic syndrome refers to high triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, excess body fat around the waist, and increased insulin levels. People with this group of problems have an increased chance of getting heart disease. * Smokers have a much higher risk of heart disease than nonsmokers. * Chronic kidney disease can increase your risk. * Already having atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries in another part of your body (examples are stroke and abdominal aortic aneurysm) increases your risk of having coronary heart disease. * Other risk factors including alcohol abuse, not getting enough exercise, and excessive amounts of stress. Higher-than-normal levels of inflammation-related substances, such as C-reactive protein and fibrinogen are being studied as possible indicators of an increased risk for heart disease. Increased levels of a chemical called homocysteine, an amino acid, are also linked to an increased risk of a heart attack. Prevention consists of modifying reversible risk factors (eg, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, physical inactivity, obesity, and smoking).

Question: Which of the following is responsible of plaque formation in arterial wall and causes atherosclerosis? Which of the following is responsible of plaque formation in arterial wall and causes atherosclerosis? A.Oxidized LDL B.LDL C.HDL D.Fatty acids E.Cholesterol esters

Answer: LDL or low-density lipoproteins deliver cholesterol to our body. If you have a high LDL, then plaques can deposit on arterial walls which will cause them to narrow and harden resulting to atherosclerosis.

Question: Can a regular echocardiogram find atherosclerosis? I have had 3 Echos done on my heart in the last 5 months and I am wondering if Atherosclerosis can be detected through a regular echocardiogram. Thanks.

Answer: An echo looks at the overall structure and function of your heart. It looks at how the valves are working, how the blood is moving through the heart and how well the heart muscle is squeezing. If the atherosclerosis is severe enough that it is blocking/reducing blood flow the heart muscle then it could be detected on the echo in the form of a wall motion abnormality (meaning that part of the heart is not moving/squeezing as well as the rest of the heart muscle). In a normal resting echo the blockage has to be pretty significant in order for it to be detected. A stress echo is a better way to determine if atherosclerosis is present. This is where an echo is performed before and after exercise to see if "stressing" the heart can bring about/cause a wall motion abnormality. Ultimately the best way to determine atherosclerosis is by performing an angiogram via a heart cath.

Question: What are the symptoms of Atherosclerosis? What are the symptoms? Especially for someone in their early twenties? Will a doctor prescribe potassium chloride for atherosclerosis?

Answer: Atherosclerosis develops gradually. There are usually no atherosclerosis symptoms until an artery is so narrowed or clogged that it can't supply adequate blood to your organs and tissues. Sometimes a blood clot completely obstructs blood flow, or even breaks apart and causes blood clots that can trigger a heart attack or stroke. Atherosclerosis symptoms depend on which arteries are affected. For example: If you have atherosclerosis in your heart arteries, you may have symptoms similar to those of a heart attack, such as chest pain (angina). If you have atherosclerosis in the arteries leading to your brain, you may have symptoms such as sudden numbness or weakness in your arms or legs, difficulty speaking or slurred speech, or drooping muscles in your face. If you have atherosclerosis in the arteries in your arms and legs, you may have symptoms of peripheral arterial disease, such as leg pain when walking (intermittent claudication). Sometimes atherosclerosis causes erectile dysfunction in men.

Question: How does having a high BP increase the risk of having atherosclerosis? I thought it was the other way around - I thought atherosclerosis would increas your BP...

Answer: High BP can cause a strain to arteries especially at their bifurcations. Atherosclerosis is form when you injure the inner lining of the artery, normally, this will heal and eventually would gather the depositions of fatty streaks and other foreign bodies circulating from the blood. At this point, the artery becomes narrower and thicker inside and eventually will block the entire supply of blood to the tissues, this usually happens to coronary artery that supplies blood to the heart.

Question: Do calcium supplements have any effect on atherosclerosis? It is known that calcium and cholesterol comprise the characteristic plaques in atherosclerosis but are supplements at all involved in build of such plaques? Are there any interesting papers to support this? (This is not a homework assignment)

Answer: yes