Atherosclerosis

Factors That Influence Disease

Factors that influence disease: Atherosclerosis and gender

Atherosclerosis is often colloquially referred to as the 'hardening of the arteries.' In a patient with atherosclerosis, plaque builds up on the patient's blood vessels which are required to "carry oxygen-rich blood to your heart and other parts of your body" (What is atherosclerosis, 2013, NIH). Impeding this flow can have severe health effects, including coronary and cardioid heart disease as well as liver disease. "Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood" (What is atherosclerosis, 2013, NIH). If a piece of the plaque falls off or a blood clot forms on the plaque, the result can be a life-threatening heart attack or stroke. In some cases, the thinning of the artery walls causes angina or chest pain but in other instances there are no or very few symptoms.

Coronary heart...
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