Atherosclerosis is a condition where the inner walls of your arteries become damaged and clogged with a hardened substance known as plaque. This buildup narrows the arteries and restricts the normal flow of blood, leading to poor circulation and increasing your risk of heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots.
What’s Really Going On?
Your heart pumps oxygen-rich blood through your arteries to keep your body alive and functioning. But when the inner lining of those arteries becomes inflamed or damaged—often due to stress, poor diet, smoking, and other factors—tiny cracks or lesions start to form.
In response, your body sends LDL cholesterol to these areas like a sort of biological bandage. However, if the underlying causes aren’t addressed, the arteries continue to deteriorate. Over time, plaque forms—a hardened mix of scar tissue (fibrin), calcium, cholesterol, and other debris.
This plaque hardens like bone, narrowing the arteries even more and obstructing blood flow. If a major coronary artery becomes completely blocked, it can lead to a heart attack—and even death.
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