Atherosclerosis
What are Cardiovascular Atherosclerosis Diseases?
Cardiovascular Atherosclerosis is a chronic disease characterized by the accumulation of fatty plaques, cholesterol, and other substances on the artery walls.
These deposits can cause narrowing or blockage of the arteries, leading to various health issues depending on the affected artery.
Health Problems Related to Atherosclerosis
Mortality associated with Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Diseases
Despite therapeutic advances, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) remains one of the leading causes of death globally. In 2019, cardiovascular diseases were responsible for approximately 17.9 million deaths worldwide, representing about one-third of all deaths, with a significant portion attributed to ASCVD.
In Europe, cardiovascular diseases accounted for approximately 1.7 million deaths in 2021, representing about 45% of total deaths. In Portugal, in 2016, there were 15,123 deaths attributed to atherosclerosis, corresponding to 14.3% of total mortality.
Symptoms
Atherosclerosis is often a silent disease, with symptoms usually manifesting when an artery is significantly blocked.
As the disease progresses, symptoms may vary depending on the affected arteries and the severity of the blockage.
Common symptoms
What are the risk factors?
Atherosclerosis is a complex disease with multiple causes, having several factors that increase the risk of developing the condition. These risk factors are interrelated and may act together to accelerate the disease process.
Main Risk Factors
What are Cardiovascular Atherosclerosis Diseases?
• Libby, P., Buring, J. E., Badimon, L., Hansson, G. K., Deanfield, J., Bittencourt, M. S., Tokgözoğlu, L., & Lewis, E. F. (2019). Atherosclerosis. Nature Reviews Disease Primers, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41572-019-0106-z
• Jebari-Benslaiman, S., Galicia-García, U., Larrea-Sebal, A., Olaetxea, J. R., Alloza, I., Vandenbroeck, K., Benito-Vicente, A., & Martín, C. (2022). Pathophysiology of Atherosclerosis. In International Journal of Molecular Sciences (Vol. 23, Issue 6). MDPI. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23063346
• Fan, J., & Watanabe, T. (2022). Atherosclerosis: Known and unknown. Pathology International, 72(3), 151–160. https://doi.org/10.1111/pin.13202
Health Problems Related to Atherosclerosis
• Libby, P., Buring, J. E., Badimon, L., Hansson, G. K., Deanfield, J., Bittencourt, M. S., Tokgözoğlu, L., & Lewis, E. F. (2019). Atherosclerosis. Nature Reviews Disease Primers, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41572-019-0106-z
• Keeter WC, Ma S, Stahr N, Moriarty AK, Galkina EV. Atherosclerosis and multi-organ-associated pathologies. Semin Immunopathol. 2022 May;44(3):363-374. doi: 10.1007/s00281-022-00914-y. Epub 2022 Mar 3. PMID: 35238952; PMCID: PMC9069968.
• Grundy, S, Stone, N, Bailey, A. et al. 2018 AHA/ACC/AACVPR/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. JACC. 2019 Jun, 73 (24) e285–e350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2018.11.003
Mortality Associated with Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Diseases
• Vaduganathan, M, Mensah, G, Turco, J. et al. The Global Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases and Risk: A Compass for Future Health. JACC. 2022 Dec, 80 (25) 2361–2371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2022.11.005
• WHO (2021) Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cardiovascular-diseases-(cvds)
• The Lancet Regional Health- Europe 2023;33: 100746 https://doi.org/10. 1016/j.lanepe.2023. 100746
• Costa J, Alarcão J, Araujo F, Ascenção R, Caldeira D, Fiorentino F, Gil V, Gouveia M, Lourenço F, Mello E Silva A, Sampaio F, Vaz Carneiro A, Borges M. The burden of atherosclerosis in Portugal. Eur Heart J Qual Care Clin Outcomes. 2021 Mar 15;7(2):154-162. doi: 10.1093/ehjqcco/qcaa060. PMID: 32946553; PMCID: PMC7962771.
Symptoms / Common Symptoms
• NHS. (2024). Atherosclerosis Symptoms. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/atherosclerosis/symptoms
What are the risk factors?
• Libby, P., Buring, J. E., Badimon, L., Hansson, G. K., Deanfield, J., Bittencourt, M. S., Tokgözoğlu, L., & Lewis, E. F. (2019). Atherosclerosis. Nature Reviews Disease Primers, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41572-019-0106-z
• Fan, J., & Watanabe, T. (2022). Atherosclerosis: Known and unknown. Pathology International, 72(3), 151–160. https://doi.org/10.1111/pin.13202
• NHS. (2024). Atherosclerosis Symptoms. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/atherosclerosis/symptoms