How does atherosclerosis affect the function and structure of the Cardiovascular System?

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Of the changes that may occur in the arteries as a result of disease, there are two types which concern us here. Both kinds have traditionally been known by the general term, "arteriosclerosis," which means hardening or thickening of the arteries. Actually, however, there are two kinds of hardening of the arteries. One occurs when calcium deposits in the middle layer of the artery cause it to become brittle and hard. The other type of change, on the other hand鈥攁nd it is the more frequent one鈥攈as serious consequences. It consists of a thickening of the inner wall of the artery by deposits of fats: cholesterol (a fatty alcohol), fatty acids, and the like, together with calcium.

As these deposits grow, the passageways or canals of the arteries become narrower, much in the same way as the drain from your kitchen sink becomes clogged with grease deposits. The result is that less and less blood can flow through the narrowed opening to the tissues or organs that depend on it for life. Your "pipes" have become clogged. If the blockage is complete in vital arteries that feed the heart muscle, a heart attack鈥攐r as we physicians call it, a coronary thrombosis鈥攐ccurs. If this disaster occurs in the cerebral arteries of the brain, a "stroke," sometimes called a heart attack in the head, results. When the small arteries of the kidneys are affected, Bright's disease, formerly called "dropsy," and other diseases ensue. In the heart, head, or kidneys, it is essentially the same.

atherosclerosis is the hardening of the walls of blood vessels (especially arteries) usually due to high cholesterol or LDLs that cause an inflammatory response involving mast cells resulting in a thickening or hardening of the walls. This decreases the vessel's compliance (ability to distend or expand). The artery cannot distend as blood is pumped into it and remains relatively rigid. This will increase the pressure in the arteries, which leads to high blood pressure. High blood pressure means the heart has to pump against a greater afterload, so this can result in more work done by the heart. The heart can get larger as a result.

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