Atherosclerosis affects heart and blood circulation.  It is one of the main causes of death in the United States, where a heart attack occurs every 29 seconds and 40% are fatal.

Atherosclerosis is a thickening of the internal lining of the blood vessels that is linked with fatty substances, like cholesterol, in the blood. The increasing accumulation of fatty material narrows the size of the artery lining and creates a blockage.

Normally, oxygen-rich blood is pumped through the aorta and throughout the entire body and “nourishes” the cells. If the red blood does not reach the cells of a body organ in sufficient quantity (ischemia), the cells become damaged.

 In the heart muscle, a gradual reduction of oxygen to the cells produces signs of pain with various symptoms (angina pectoris). But not all of the body’s organs signal  discomfort early on. Damage from lack of oxygen may occur suddenly without early warning. Therefore it is extremely important to know and eliminate the causes of atherosclerosis before narrowing of the arteries appears.  A healthy diet and lifestyle are extremely important to maintain low cholesterol levels. A diet rich in fats, lack of exercise, alcohol intake and heavy smoking increases the risk of developing atherosclerosis.