A major killer of health, what exactly is atherosclerosis?

If we talk about diseases that afflict many middle-aged and elderly people, AS atherosclerosis must occupy a place. As we all know, due to various reasons such as environment and diet, the incidence of AS atherosclerosis can be said to be getting higher and higher. So I believe everyone wants to know what exactly AS atherosclerosis is? And what types of AS atherosclerosis are there?

Atherosclerosis is the most common and most harmful disease. It is a type of arteriosclerosis. Yellow substances containing cholesterol and fat appear in the intima of large and medium arteries. It is mostly caused by fat metabolism disorders and neurovascular dysfunction. It often leads to thrombosis, blood supply disorders, etc. Atherosclerosis is more common in men over 40 years old and women after menopause. This disease is often accompanied by hypertension, hypercholesterolemia or diabetes. It is more common among people who do mental work, and is a serious threat to people's health. It is one of the main causes of death among the elderly.

Arteriosclerosis refers to a group of arteriosclerotic diseases characterized by thickening, hardening and decreased elasticity of the arterial wall, including the following three types: ① Atherosclerosis (AS) is the most common and most harmful disease ② M nckeberg medial calcification is less common and often occurs in medium muscular arteries of the elderly. It manifests as calcium salt deposition in the media and may undergo ossification; ③ Arteriolosclerosis (arteriolar sclerosis) is often associated with hypertension and diabetes. Its basic lesion is mainly hyalinization of small arteries (see hypertension for details).

AS is an arterial disease associated with dyslipidemia and changes in vascular wall composition, mainly affecting large arteries (elastic type - aorta and its first-level branches) and medium arteries (elastic muscle type - coronary arteries, cerebral arteries, etc.). The pathological characteristics are the deposition of lipids in the blood in the arterial intima, the proliferation of smooth muscle cells (SMC) and connective tissue, causing focal fibrous thickening of the intima and the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, which hardens the arterial wall and narrows the lumen.

I believe that after reading the editor’s detailed explanation, everyone should have a general understanding of what AS atherosclerosis is and what types of AS atherosclerosis it includes. I hope that the editor’s explanation can be helpful to everyone, and at the same time, I hope everyone pays attention to their health.