Non-Modifiable risk factors / Medical conditions / Arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis

Arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis as a risk factor for stroke

Arteriosclerosis It is a general term for the thickening and hardening of the artery walls. Arteriosclerosis can lead to:

  • Narrowing and blockages in the arteries, reducing blood flow to various organs and tissues
  • Plaque breaking off from artery walls, which promotes blood clots that can travel to the brain

Atherosclerosis is a common form of arteriosclerosis and is known as a fatty plaque build-up.

Atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease1,2

Arteriosclerosis develops over a very long time and can be caused by many factors:

  • Smoking
  • Diabetes
  • High bad LDL cholesterol
  • Inflammation/damage to the walls of the blood vessels
  • High blood pressure

Without treatment, atherosclerosis can lead to many cardiovascular conditions including:

  • Heart attacks
  • Stroke
  • Peripheral artery disease (plaque build up in the arteries of the legs)

Atherosclerosis and stroke risk: Key points

Atherosclerosis is a major risk factor for stroke. Controlling the levels of LDL cholesterol is key which can be done through statins3 as well as reducing blood pressure and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Regular exercise, quitting smoking, drinking less alcohol and eating well  and maintaining a healthy weight can reduce your risk of arteriosclerosis by helping your body maintain healthy cholesterol levels and reducing blood pressure.

Preventing, detecting and controlling arteriosclerosis reduces risk of stroke. Talk to your family doctor about lifestyle changes that can make to lower risk. They may also recommend medications.

References

  1. Chirantan Banerjee and Marc I. Chimowitz. Stroke Caused by Atherosclerosis of the Major Intracranial Arteries. Circulation Research. 2017. 120(3). https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.116.308441
  2. Paul M Ridker. From CANTOS to CIRT to COLCOT to Clinic: Will All Atherosclerosis Patients Soon Be Treated With Combination Lipid-Lowering and Inflammation-Inhibiting Agents? Circulation. 2020. 141(10).https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.119.045256
  3. Randomised trial of cholesterol lowering in 4444 patients with coronary heart disease: The Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study (4S) Lancet. 1994;344:1383–9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7968073/

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