Atherosclerosis symptoms & causes

Sometimes referred to as hardened, blocked or clogged arteries, atherosclerosis can be a complex condition. But the good news is that atherosclerosis is highly treatable when diagnosed early. Atherosclerosis symptoms can begin as early as childhood and usually progress more rapidly between ages 40 and 50. By age 60 about 75% of people have some degree of atherosclerosis.

If you're experiencing possible atherosclerosis symptoms, we’re here to help with the most advanced imaging technology to precisely diagnose all types of artery disease. And our cutting-edge, minimally invasive treatments to reopen blocked arteries help you recover faster and get back to doing all the things you love.

What is atherosclerosis?

Your arteries are the blood vessels that carry blood from your heart to the rest of your body. If you have atherosclerosis, it means there are blockages in your artery walls from the buildup of fats, cholesterol, calcium and other substances found in your blood. Called plaque, this buildup makes it harder for blood to flow and can cause stroke, heart attack and other serious health issues.

Atherosclerosis vs. arteriosclerosis

Because atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis are very similar and cause similar complications, they are often mistaken for the same condition. Atherosclerosis is a specific type of arteriosclerosis with different causes.

Arteriosclerosis is a group of conditions that cause arteries to stiffen and thicken. Healthy arteries are stretchy and flexible. Blood flow gets interrupted when the arteries thicken, causing problems with blood circulation. 

Atherosclerosis involves clogging in the arteries caused by fatty, waxy buildup (plaque) rather than by a thickening of the arteries. The plaque can cause arteries to narrow, blocking blood flow. The plaque can also burst, leading to a blood clot.

Complications of atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis can happen in any artery in your body, including those that supply blood to your brain, heart, legs and intestine. Atherosclerosis can lead to a variety of serious conditions, depending on where it’s located, including:

• Carotid artery disease is when the arteries that carry blood from your heart to your brain become narrowed or blocked, which can cause a stroke.
• Coronary artery disease, the most common form of heart disease, happens when plaque forms in the arteries that supply blood to your heart and can cause a heart attack.
• Mesenteric artery disease occurs when blockages develop in the arteries that supply blood to your intestines, which is potentially dangerous and can damage the intestine.
• Peripheral artery disease develops when plaque forms in the arteries that supply blood to your legs, arms, pelvis or other body areas, and can limit your mobility and lead to amputation or life-threatening conditions.
• Aortic aneurysm is a bulge in the wall of the aorta, which can be life-threatening if it bursts. Aneurysms can develop in any arrtery in the body.
• Chronic kidney disease occurs when plaque builds up in the arteries that supply blood to your kidneys.

Warning signs & symptoms of atherosclerosis

Plaque and blockages usually build up gradually and you may not have any symptoms of atherosclerosis in the beginning. As atherosclerosis progresses, the signs depend on which arteries in your body are clogged.

• If atherosclerosis is in the arteries leading to your brain, you may feel symptoms of atherosclerosis that are similar to stroke, such as a sudden numbness or weakness in your arms or legs; difficulty speaking or slurred speech; sudden changes in eyesight, dizziness, sudden and severe headache; or drooping muscles in your face.
• If atherosclerosis is in your coronary (heart) arteries, you may experience atherosclerosis symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath or heart attack.
• If atherosclerosis is in your intestinal arteries, you may have severe abdominal pain and weight loss.
• If atherosclerosis is in your leg arteries, atherosclerosis symptoms may include pain when walking.

Causes & risk factors of atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis may be caused by damage to your arteries. This damage might be from:

• High blood pressure
• Diabetes, obesity or insulin resistance
• Smoking
• Genetics, such as a family history of heart disease
• High cholesterol
• Inflammation caused by an infection or a disease

Ways to prevent atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in the artery)

These lifestyle changes can help keep your arteries healthy and reduce or prevent atherosclerosis:

• Checking and maintaining healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels
• Eating a healthy diet including plenty of leafy greens, berries, oats and olive oil
• Exercising regularly
• Keeping blood pressure at healthy levels
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Quitting smoking

Diagnosing atherosclerosis

During your thorough physical exam, our specialists will look for signs of narrowed or blocked arteries. These include:

• A swooshing sound, called a bruit, in your artery
• A weak or absent pulse
• Lower blood pressure in one limb

If we find any sign of atherosclerosis, we may order additional tests for you, such as:

• Blood tests to measure your cholesterol, oxygen and other blood component levels and organ function
• Electrocardiogram (EKG) to check your heart rhythm and blood flow
• Stress test to look at how your heart functions when it’s working hard, like during exercise
• Imaging such as an ultrasound, CT scan, MRI or angiography to get a picture of your blood vessels and organs and determine plaque buildup
• Ankle-brachial index to diagnose peripheral artery disease, which compares the blood pressure in your ankle with the pressure in your arm to see how well your blood is flowing

Find out more about our heart and vascular testing and diagnosis.

Treating atherosclerosis

As with many health conditions, prevention is the best medicine when it comes to atherosclerosis. Often people aren’t even aware they have plaque buildup in their arteries until they have a heart attack or stroke. But we’re here to help you reduce your risk, or if you need treatment, to provide exactly the right care for you.

We may recommend:

• Lifestyle changes such as eating a healthier diet, exercising more or quitting smoking
• Medications to help lower your cholesterol, control your blood pressure or prevent blood clots
• Cardiac catheterization, a minimally invasive procedure where we guide a thin, flexible tube (catheter) through your blood vessel. If we find a blockage, we’ll inflate a tiny balloon to open your artery, which is called angioplasty. Or we’ll place a small cage, called a stent, to hold your artery open.
• Bypass surgery, a surgical procedure where our experts create a new path for your blood to flow around the blocked artery
• Endarterectomy, a procedure in which we surgically remove the plaque that’s built up inside your blocked artery