Atherosclerosis

Patent Pending Atherosclerosis (also known as arteriosclerotic vascular disease or ASVD) is a specific form of arteriosclerosis in which an artery wall thickens as a result of invasion and accumulation of white blood cells (termed "fatty streaks" early on because of appearance being similar to that of marbled steak) and containing both living active WBCs (called inflammation) and remnants of dead cells, including cholesterol and triglycerides, eventually calcium and other crystallized materials, within the outer-most and oldest plaque. These changes reduce the elasticity of the artery walls but do not affect blood flow for decades because the artery muscular wall enlarges at the locations of plaque. However, the wall stiffening may eventually increase pulse pressure; widened pulse pressure is one possible result of advanced disease within the major arteries. It is a syndrome affecting arterial blood vessels, a chronic inflammatory response, i.e. white blood cells, in the walls of arteries, largely involving the accumulation of macrophages and white blood cells and promoted by low-density lipoproteins (LDL, plasma proteins that carry cholesterol and triglycerides) without adequate removal of fats and cholesterol from the macrophages by functional high-density lipoproteins (HDL) (see apoA-1 Milano). It is commonly referred to as a "hardening" or furring of the arteries. It is caused by the formation of multiple atheromatous plaques within the arteries.[1][2]