Diagnosis of Arteriosclerosis

Arteriosclerosis occurs when fatty material, calcium deposits, cholesterol and other elements build up in the arteries and harden over time into plaque. This creates a risk for blockage or a blood clot and can cause a heart attack or stroke. Many people are unaware that they have arteriosclerosis until they experience a serious health complication. According to the Mayo Clinic, healthy choices and lifestyle changes can help prevent arteriosclerosis.

Symptoms

• Most symptoms of arteriosclerosis are overlooked. Arteriosclerosis can cause fatigue, an abnormal heart beat and shortness of breath, but many patients write these off as caused by stress or by being out of shape. A more serious symptom of arteriosclerosis is angina, or chest pain caused by a lack of oxygen from poor blood flow. Angina can feel oppressive, and some people mistake the pain for a heart attack.

Causes

• Arteriosclerosis is caused by a buildup of plaque in the arteries. The plaque is fatty material, calcium deposits, cholesterol and other elements that have collected and hardened over time. Poor diet, lack of exercise, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, tobacco usage, excessive alcohol abuse, and certain diseases such as diabetes can contribute to arteriosclerosis.

Complications

• Arteriosclerosis puts you at high risk for heart attack, stroke, congestive heart failure, aneurysm and other damage to organs.

Diagnosis

• Your doctor will conduct a physical exam, listening carefully to your heart and lungs with a stethoscope. He may try a number of tests, such as CT scans; cardiac stress tests; an intravascular ultrasound, where the doctor will use sound waves to get an image of the inside of your arteries; and many types of arteriography, where he will inject a die into the bloodstream to look for buildup or blockage.

Treatment

• If you are diagnosed with arteriosclerosis, your doctor will first put you on a strict, heart-healthy diet and ask that you exercise 30 minutes a day for four to seven days a week. She may then put you on cholesterol or antiplatelet medication to reduce the buildup of plaque in your system. She may also prescribe anticoagulants, which thin the blood to prevent clots. Blood pressure medicine is possible as well if your pressure is at a very high average.

  If you have a large amount of buildup, the doctor will treat you with more aggressive techniques. She may perform an angioplasty, where she installs a tube to help keep the arteries around your heart open. Endarterectomy is a procedure where the doctor surgically removes plaque from artery walls. Thrombolytic therapy is used for any clots that have formed. The most aggressive treatment is bypass surgery. The doctor will use a synthetic tube or take a graft of a healthy vessel from one part of the body and relocate it to allow blood to flow around a blocked or severely narrowed artery.

Prevention

• Many people develop arteriosclerosis as they age, but you can delay or even prevent the disease by eating a heart-healthy diet, getting 30 minutes of exercise four to seven times a week, eliminating your use of tobacco and excess alcohol, and getting a physical exam at least once a year. Develop ways to reduce your stress at home and at work. Monitoring your blood pressure daily or even weekly is helpful as well, as you will know when your pressure is climbing and when you should see your doctor.