Atherosclerosis Pathophysiology
Pathophysiology of Coronary Artery Disease
Atherosclerosis is a type of arteriosclerosis caused by a build-up of plaque in the inner lining of an artery. (Arteriosclerosis is a general term for thickening or hardening of the arteries.) (Porth 2005) Plaque is made up of deposits of fatty substances, cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium, and fibrin, and can develop in medium or large arteries. The artery wall becomes thickened and looses its elasticity. (Fraser 2000)
The wall of an artery is composed of several layers. The lining or inner layer (endothelium) is usually smooth and unbroken. Atherosclerosis begins when the lining is injured or diseased. (Marieb 2006) Then certain white blood cells called monocytes are activated and …show more content…
The muscular portion of artery walls usually remains strong, even after they have remodeled to compensate for the atheromatous plaques. However, atheromas within the vessel wall are soft and fragile with little elasticity. (Lilly 2002) Arteries constantly expand and contract with each heartbeat. In addition, the calcification deposits between the outer portion of the atheroma and the muscular wall, as they progress, lead to a loss of elasticity, stiffening, of the artery as a …show more content…
(Baxter 2007) Plaque rupture can lead to artery lumen occlusion within seconds to minutes, and potential permanent debility and sometimes sudden death.
75% lumen stenosis used to be considered by cardiologists as the hallmark of clinically significant disease because it is only at this severity of narrowing of the larger heart arteries that recurring episodes of angina and detectable abnormalities by stress testing methods are seen. (Baxter 2007)
Though any artery in the body can be involved, usually only severe narrowing or obstruction of some arteries, those which supply more critically important organs, are recognized. Obstruction of arteries supplying the heart muscle results in a heart attack. Obstruction of arteries supplying the brain results in a stroke. These events are life changing because lost heart muscle and brain cells do not grow back.
Reference
Atherosclerosis is a type of arteriosclerosis caused by a build-up of plaque in the inner lining of an artery. (Arteriosclerosis is a general term for thickening or hardening of the arteries.) (Porth 2005) Plaque is made up of deposits of fatty substances, cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium, and fibrin, and can develop in medium or large arteries. The artery wall becomes thickened and looses its elasticity. (Fraser 2000)
The wall of an artery is composed of several layers. The lining or inner layer (endothelium) is usually smooth and unbroken. Atherosclerosis begins when the lining is injured or diseased. (Marieb 2006) Then certain white blood cells called monocytes are activated and …show more content…
The muscular portion of artery walls usually remains strong, even after they have remodeled to compensate for the atheromatous plaques. However, atheromas within the vessel wall are soft and fragile with little elasticity. (Lilly 2002) Arteries constantly expand and contract with each heartbeat. In addition, the calcification deposits between the outer portion of the atheroma and the muscular wall, as they progress, lead to a loss of elasticity, stiffening, of the artery as a …show more content…
(Baxter 2007) Plaque rupture can lead to artery lumen occlusion within seconds to minutes, and potential permanent debility and sometimes sudden death.
75% lumen stenosis used to be considered by cardiologists as the hallmark of clinically significant disease because it is only at this severity of narrowing of the larger heart arteries that recurring episodes of angina and detectable abnormalities by stress testing methods are seen. (Baxter 2007)
Though any artery in the body can be involved, usually only severe narrowing or obstruction of some arteries, those which supply more critically important organs, are recognized. Obstruction of arteries supplying the heart muscle results in a heart attack. Obstruction of arteries supplying the brain results in a stroke. These events are life changing because lost heart muscle and brain cells do not grow back.
Reference