Atherosclerosis: Difference between revisions

== Complications of atherosclerosis ==

The clinical complications of atherosclerosis are highly dependent on the location and size of affected vessels, the duration of the chronic process, and the type of plaque, since the severity of impairment of atherosclerosis differs throughout the vasculature. For example, ‘stable plaque’ can easily result into angina pectoris due to its thick fibrous cap that directly affects the diameter of the relatively small coronary vessels. On the other hand, ‘vulnerable plaque’ is non-stenotic, but can easily cause acute thrombosis and therefore myocardial infarction due to its fragility towards rupture when located at physically stressed areas such as bifurcations. Often with ‘vulnerable plaques’ there are relatively few symptoms, however they are more numerous and dispersed throughout the arteries compared to ‘stable plaque’. Thus, you can either have an occlusion due to the growing plaque or due to the embolization of the ruptured fragments of the original plaque. Due to the difficult detection of ‘vulnerable plaques’ while they are widely dispersed, it is highly important to tackle the risk factors prior to plaque rupture. Thus in the following paragraph, we will highlight the clinical risk factors associated with atherosclerosis. The four major clinical consequences of atherosclerosis are listed and explained below.<br />