ATHEROSCLEROSIS

(AORTA)
Firmalino, Angellene
New Era University
 Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol,
calcium, smooth muscle and other
substances found in the blood

ATHEROSCLEROSIS – Hardening from plaque

Athero (meaning porridge) referring to the soft lipid-rich material

Sclerosis (scarring) referring to connective tissue in the plaques.
Etiology
Genetics – Family history is the most important independent risk factor for atherosclerosis.
Age – a dominant influence. Between ages 40 and 60
Gender – premenopausal women are protected against atherosclerosis compared to age-matched
men. A favorable influence of estrogen has long been proposed to explain this effect.

 Atherosclerosis is the cause of more than half of all deaths in the western
industrialized nations
 Incidence progressively increasing in developing nations too in an epidemic
proportion over the last few decades due to fast changing lifestyles
 Deaths from myocardial infarction (20-25 % of all deaths) are mostly related to
underlying atherosclerosis
 PATHOGENESIS

Response to injury hypothesis

Morphology
Normally consists of a
single layer of endothelial
cells.
Clinical Manifestations
 Atherosclerosis develops gradually, typically begins in early adolescence, and is usually found in
most major arteries.

 There are usually no atherosclerosis symptoms until an artery is so narrowed or clogged that it
can't supply adequate blood to your organs and tissues
 After a generally prolonged “silent” period, atherosclerosis may become clinically manifest as:

The clinical expressions of atherosclerosis may development a

dramatic acute clinical event, such as myocardial infarction, a
stroke, or sudden cardiac death, may first herald the presence of
atherosclerosis.
References
• Robbins Basic Pathology
• http://old-www.path.cam.ac.uk/partIB_pract/P22/P22Vet_16-
17v01asc.pdf
• http://slideplayer.com/slide/9556898/