Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is a general term for several diseases in which the arterial wall becomes thicker and less flexible. The disease is the most important and most common is atherosclerosis, in which fatty material collects under the inner layer of the artery wall. Atherosclerosis can occur in arteries in the brain, heart, kidneys, other vital organs and the arms and legs. When atherosclerosis occurs in the arteries leading to the brain (carotid arteries), then it could be a stroke. If it occurs in the arteries leading to the heart (coronary arteries), heart attack can occur. Atherosclerosis begins when white blood cells called monocytes, move from the bloodstream into the arterial wall and transformed into cells that collect fatty materials. In time, monocytes were filled fat will accumulate, causing patches of thickening in the lining of the arteries. Each area of thickening (called atherosclerotic plaque or atheroma) are filled with soft materials such as cheese, contains a number of ...