11/12/2025
Atherosclerosis is a condition where plaque slowly builds up inside your arteries. This plaque is made up of cholesterol, fats, and inflammatory cells, and over time it causes the arteries to narrow, making it harder for blood to flow properly.
If the buildup becomes severe, it can reduce blood supply to important organs. This may lead to chest pain, stroke, or even a heart attack if a blockage suddenly forms.
Understanding how plaque develops is an important step in protecting your health. This animation explains what happens inside your arteries as the disease progresses—and shows why early prevention matters.
Possible Prevention
Healthy eating: Choose more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats. Limit foods high in saturated fats and trans fats.
Regular exercise: Aim for consistent physical activity most days of the week to support heart health.
Avoid smoking or exposure to to***co smoke: To***co greatly increases plaque formation.
Maintain a healthy weight: Helps control cholesterol and blood pressure.
Manage stress: Long-term stress can impact heart health.
Know your numbers: Keeping cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar within healthy ranges reduces risk.
How Atherosclerosis Is Diagnosed
Doctors may use a combination of:
Blood tests to check cholesterol levels
Ultrasound of arteries
CT scans or CT angiography
Electrocardiogram (ECG)
Stress tests
Angiography to view blood flow inside arteries
Treatment Options
Treatment depends on how advanced the condition is:
Lifestyle changes (diet, exercise, weight management)
Medications to lower cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, or prevent clotting
Minimally invasive procedures such as angioplasty (using a balloon and possibly a stent to open a narrowed artery)
Surgery in more severe cases, such as bypass surgery to reroute blood flow. . Wellmaxdiagnostics
