This article is not meant for inidividuals attempting self-treatment. A visit to the local physician or hospital for professional medical assistance and treatment is advised.

Introduction

Arteriosclerosis means the "hardening of the arteries" in Greek. This is also a general term used to describe several diseases involving the cardiovascular system. Note that arteriosclerosis is not the same as atherosclerosis, but related.

Alternative names:

• Arteriosclerosis obliterans
• Peripheral vascular disease (PVD)
• Peripheral arterial disease (PAD)

Arteriosclerosis is typically characterized by:

• loss of elasticity in the arteries
• narrowing and hardening of the arteries to the upper and lower extremities of the body
• decrease in blood flow (ischemia) that can injure nerves and other tissues

Types of Arteriosclerosis

Monckeberg's arteriosclerosis involves the deposition of calcium in the arterial endothelial tissues of the lower extremities, generally leading to hypertension. General Name, Symbol, Number calcium, Ca, 20 Series alkaline earth metal Group, Period, Block 2 (IIA), 4, s Density, Hardness 1550 kg/m3, 1. ... Hypertension or high blood pressure is a medical condition where the blood pressure in the arteries is chronically elevated. ...

Arteriolar sclerosis is a condition affecting the inner and medial layers of smaller arteries, characterized by decreased blood flow to certain organs. Affected organs are usually:

• eyes
• limbs
• internal organs

Signs and Symptoms

• hypertension
• impaired blood circulation to the upper and lower extremities
  • intermittent/recurrent kidney infections
    • renal failure
  • peripheral vascular disease
  • poor/impaired vision
    • blindness
  • poor circulation to fingers and toes
  • weak/absent of pulse in the limb
    • numbness of the legs/feet at rest
    • muscle pain of the thighs, calves, or feet
    • loss of hair on the legs/feet
    • cyanosis

Cyanosis refers to the bluish coloration of the skin due to the presence of deoxygenated blood in blood vessels near the skin surface. ...

Complications

• injury or infection to legs/feet
• ischemic ulcers in the lower limb
• gan/tissue
• impotence

In medicine, ischemia (Greek ισχαιμία, isch- is restriction, hema or haema is blood) is a restriction in blood supply, generally due to factors in the blood vessels, with resultant damage or dysfunction of tissue. ... Impotence or, more clinically, erectile dysfunction is the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis for satisfactory sexual intercourse regardless of the capability of ejaculation. ...

Diagnosis

The following examinations could be recommended by a physician for the diagnosis

• blood test
• Magetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
• Intravascular ultrasound
• Doppler ultrasound
• arteriography/angiography of the arteries in the legs

A common diagnosis for arteriosclerosis would be For other meanings see Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). ... Ultrasound is sound with a frequency greater than the upper limit of human hearing, approximately 20 kilohertz. ... Medical ultrasonography is an ultrasound-based imaging diagnostic technique used to visualize internal organs, their size, structure and their pathological lesions. ... Angiography or arteriography is a medical imaging technique in which an X-ray picture is taken to visualize the inner opening of blood filled structures, including arteries, veins and the heart chambers. ... Angiography or arteriography is a medical imaging technique in which an X-ray picture is taken to visualize the inner opening of blood filled structures, including arteries, veins and the heart chambers. ...

• may have high blood cholesterol (≥200 mg/dl)
• an abnormal ankle/brachial index (ABI) - ratio between blood pressure of the ankle and arm
• decreased/absent pulse in the affected limb

Treatment

Treatment would focus on the relief of symptoms and improvement of blood circulation

Surgery is performed only when strictly necessary.

Self care as part of the treatment would usually include the recommendation of:

• Exercise is strongly recommended, as it leads to the development of collateral blood vessels, improving blood circulation
• Reduction of dietary fat and cholesterol intake
• Cessation of smoking

In biochemistry, fat is a generic term for a class of lipids. ... Cholesterol is a steroid lipid, found in the cell membranes of all body tissues, and transported in the blood plasma of all animals. ...

Lifestyle Risk Factors

Lifestyles habits that contribute to arteriosclerosis:

• smoking
• overweight/obesity
  • BMI ≥27

Other risk factors include: For information about smoking tobacco, see tobacco smoking. ... BMI can mean one of the following: Body mass index - a measurement of ideal weight range Broadcast Music Incorporated - a music-related organization BMI British Midland - an airline based at Heathrow airport Bank Melli Iran - a public bank in Iran This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists...

• stress
• males >50 years of age
• family history of:
  • cerebrovascular disease (stroke)
  • diabetes
  • hypertension
  • kidney diseases involving hemodialysis

Stress has different meanings in different fields: Stress (physics); see also tensile stress, shear stress and pressure. ... Cerebrovascular disease is damage to the blood vessels in the brain, resulting in a stroke. ... A stroke or cerebrovascular accident (CVA) occurs when the blood supply to a part of the brain is suddenly interrupted by occlusion (an ischemic stroke- approximately 90%of strokes) or by hemorrhage (a hemorrhagic stroke - approximately 10% of strokes). ... This article is about the disease that features high blood sugar. ... Hypertension or high blood pressure is a medical condition where the blood pressure in the arteries is chronically elevated. ... This article is about clinical dialysis; for the laboratory technique, see Dialysis (biochemistry) In medicine, dialysis is a method for removing waste such as urea from the blood when the kidneys are incapable of this, i. ...

See Also

Atherosclerosis

External Links

• Arteriosclerosis/Artherosclerosis

• Arteriosclerosis

• MedLine Plus Medical Encyclopedia