Using a stethoscope, doctors may hear a bruit in your belly, which is an early sign of plaque buildup in the arteries that deliver blood to the kidneys (renal artery stenosis). As the disease worsens, it can cause\u00a0high blood pressure, extreme tiredness, loss of appetite, nausea (feeling sick to the stomach), swelling in the hands or feet, and itchiness or numbness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nDiagnosis<\/h5>\n
To diagnose atherosclerosis, your doctor will check the results of\u00a0blood tests, imaging procedures, and other tests and also ask about your medical and family history. A physical exam helps detect\u00a0symptoms.<\/p>\n
Screening tests<\/strong>: Beginning at age 20, your doctor will regularly check to see if you have\u00a0risk factors\u00a0for plaque buildup in the arteries. Your doctor may:<\/p>\n\n- Check your blood pressure.<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Calculate your\u00a0body mass index<\/strong>\u00a0and measure your waist to see whether you have an unhealthy weight.<\/li>\n
- Order<\/strong>\u00a0blood tests<\/strong>\u00a0to see whether you have unhealthy\u00a0blood cholesterol\u00a0or\u00a0triglycerides\u00a0levels, or\u00a0diabetes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Estimating your risk<\/strong>: Talk with your healthcare provider about risk factors:<\/p>\n\n- Lifestyle habits\u00a0<\/strong>such as smoking or vaping, physical activity, and\u00a0<\/strong>eating habits<\/li>\n
- Your personal health history<\/strong>\u00a0of medical conditions that may affect your risk, including\u00a0diabetes\u00a0and\u00a0inflammatory\u00a0conditions, such as\u00a0rheumatoid arthritis\u00a0and psoriasis<\/li>\n
- Your family history\u00a0<\/strong>if you have blood relatives who had\u00a0heart attacks\u00a0or\u00a0died suddenly\u00a0before they were 55 years old<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Diagnostic tests<\/strong>: To diagnose atherosclerosis, your doctor may order tests. Your doctor may recommend tests even if you do not have\u00a0symptoms. The type of test depends on which arteries are affected by plaque buildup.<\/p>\nBlood tests<\/strong>: Blood tests check the levels of cholesterol,\u00a0triglycerides, blood sugar,\u00a0lipoproteins,<\/em>\u00a0or proteins that are signs of\u00a0inflammation, such as C-reactive protein.<\/p>\nElectrocardiogram<\/strong>: An electrocardiogram, also called an ECG or EKG, is a simple, painless test that detects and records your heart\u2019s electrical activity. An EKG can show how fast your heart is beating, whether the rhythm of your heartbeats is steady or irregular, and the strength and timing of the electrical impulses passing through each part of your heart. You may have an EKG as part of a routine exam to screen for heart disease.<\/p>\nAn EKG may be recorded in a doctor\u2019s office, an outpatient facility, in a hospital before major surgery, or as part of stress testing. For the test, you will lie still on a table. A nurse or technician will attach up to 12 electrodes to the skin on your chest, arms, and legs. Your skin may need to be shaved to help the electrodes stick. The electrodes are connected by wires to a machine that records your heart\u2019s electrical activity on graph paper or on a computer. After the test, the electrodes will be removed.<\/p>\n
An EKG has no serious risks. EKGs don\u2019t give off electrical charges such as shocks. You may develop a slight rash where the electrodes were attached to your skin. This rash usually goes away on its own without treatment.<\/p>\n
Heart imaging tests<\/strong>: Your doctor may order a\u00a0heart imaging test\u00a0to take pictures of your heart and find problems in blood flow in the heart or coronary arteries.<\/p>\nExamples of heart imaging tests used to diagnose atherosclerosis appear below.<\/p>\n
\n- Angiography\u00a0<\/strong>is a special type of X-ray using a dye. This procedure can be used to check the arteries in the heart, neck, brain, or other areas of the body.<\/li>\n
- Cardiac MRI\u00a0(magnetic resonance imaging)<\/strong>\u00a0detects tissue damage or problems with blood flow in the heart or coronary arteries. Cardiac MRI can help explain results from other imaging tests such as chest X-rays and CT scans.<\/li>\n
- Cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) scanning<\/strong>\u00a0assesses blood flow through the small blood vessels of the heart. This is a type of nuclear heart scan that can diagnose\u00a0coronary microvascular disease.<\/li>\n
- Coronary computed tomographic (CT) angiography\u00a0<\/strong>shows the insides of your coronary arteries rather than an invasive cardiac catheterization. It is a noninvasive imaging test using CT scanning.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Coronary calcium scan<\/strong>: A coronary calcium scan is a CT scan of your heart that measures the amount of calcium in the walls of your coronary arteries. Buildup of calcium, or calcifications, are a sign of atherosclerosis or coronary heart disease.<\/p>\nA coronary calcium scan may be done in a medical imaging facility or hospital. The test does not use contrast dye and will take about 10 to 15 minutes to complete. A coronary calcium scan uses a special scanner such as an electron beam CT or a multidetector CT (MDCT) machine. An MDCT machine is a much faster CT scanner that makes high-quality pictures of the beating heart. A coronary calcium scan will determine an Agatston score that reflects the amount of calcium found in your coronary arteries. A score of zero is normal. In general, the higher your score, the more likely you are to have heart disease. If your score is high, your doctor may recommend more tests.<\/p>\n
A coronary calcium scan has few risks. There is a slight risk of cancer, particularly in people younger than 40 years old. However, the amount of radiation from one test is similar to the amount of radiation you are naturally exposed to over one year. Talk to your doctor and the technicians performing the test about whether you are or could be pregnant.<\/p>\n
Stress tests<\/strong>: A stress test measures how healthy your heart is and how well it works during physical stress. Some heart problems are easier to identify when your heart is working hard to pump blood throughout your body, such as when you exercise.<\/p>\nYou may do a stress test in your doctor\u2019s office or a hospital. The test usually involves physical exercise such as walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bicycle. If you are not able to exercise, your doctor will give you medicine that will make your heart work hard and beat faster, as if you were exercising. Your doctor may ask you not to take some of your prescription medicines or to avoid coffee, tea, or any drinks with caffeine on the day of your test, because these may affect your results. Your doctor will ask you to wear comfortable clothes and shoes for the test.<\/p>\n
Ankle-brachial index (ABI) test<\/strong>: Ankle-brachial index (ABI) tests\u00a0<\/strong>are used to diagnose\u00a0peripheral artery disease. This painless test compares the blood pressures in your ankle and your arm using a blood pressure cuff and\u00a0ultrasound\u00a0device.<\/p>\nTreatment<\/h6>\n
Heart-healthy living\u00a0is very important for\u00a0preventing\u00a0and treating atherosclerotic plaque buildup throughout your lifetime.<\/p>\n
Steps for a healthy lifestyle include:<\/p>\n
\n- Choose heart-healthy foods<\/strong>, such as the\u00a0DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan.\u00a0<\/strong>A heart-healthy eating plan includes fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and limits saturated fats, sodium (salt), and added sugars.<\/li>\n
- Be physically active.\u00a0<\/strong>Routine physical activity can help manage risk factors such as high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, overweight and obesity. Adults should engage in a total of 150 minutes or more per week of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous physical activity. Before starting any exercise program, ask your doctor what level of physical activity is right for you.<\/li>\n
- Aim for a healthy weight.\u00a0<\/strong>Losing just 3% to 5% of your current weight can help you manage some coronary heart disease risk factors, such as high blood cholesterol and\u00a0diabetes. Greater amounts of weight loss can also improve blood pressure readings.<\/li>\n
- Limit how much alcohol you drink.\u00a0<\/strong>Drinking less is better for health than drinking more. Men should limit their intake to 2 drinks or less in a day. Women should drink 1 drink or less per day.<\/li>\n
- Manage stress.\u00a0<\/strong>Learning how to manage stress, relax, and cope with problems can improve your emotional and physical health.<\/li>\n
- Quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Get enough good-quality sleep.\u00a0<\/strong>The recommended amount for adults is 7 to 9 hours of sleep a day.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Medicines<\/strong>: Medicines can help manage risk factors and treat atherosclerosis or its complications. Your doctor may also prescribe medicines to treat other medical conditions, such as\u00a0high blood pressure, that can worsen plaque buildup.<\/p>\nMedicines often used to treat atherosclerosis or related conditions are listed below.<\/p>\n
\n- ACE inhibitors and beta blockers<\/strong>\u00a0help lower\u00a0blood pressure\u00a0and lower the heart\u2019s workload.<\/li>\n
- Anti-platelet or anti-clotting medicines<\/strong>\u00a0may help reduce risk of complications for some people who have atherosclerosis. Aspirin is not recommended for most people.<\/li>\n
- Calcium channel blockers<\/strong>\u00a0lower blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels.<\/li>\n
- Medicines to control blood sugar,\u00a0<\/strong>such as empagliflozin, canagliflozin, and liraglutide, help lower your risk for complications if you have atherosclerosis and diabetes.<\/li>\n
- Metformin<\/strong>\u00a0helps control plaque buildup if you have diabetes.<\/li>\n
- Nitrates,<\/strong>\u00a0such as nitroglycerin, dilate your coronary arteries and relieve or prevent chest pain from\u00a0angina.<\/li>\n
- Ranolazine<\/strong>\u00a0treats\u00a0coronary microvascular disease\u00a0and the chest pain it may cause.<\/li>\n
- Statins\u00a0<\/strong>treat unhealthy\u00a0blood cholesterol\u00a0levels. Your doctor may recommend a statin if you have a higher risk for\u00a0coronary heart disease\u00a0or\u00a0stroke\u00a0or if you have diabetes and are between ages 40 and 75.<\/li>\n
- Other cholesterol-lowering medicines,<\/strong>\u00a0such as ezetimibe, PCSK9 inhibitor, bempedoic acid, and omega-3 fatty acids, may be used if you are unable to take statins or when statins have not worked to treat unhealthy blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.<\/li>\n
- Thrombolytic medicines, sometimes called clot busters,<\/strong>\u00a0may be used to treat blood clots resulting from atherosclerosis. These medicines can dissolve\u00a0blood clot\u00a0that block arteries, causing a stroke, heart attack, mesenteric\u00a0Ischemia\u00a0or other problems. Ideally, the medicine should be given as soon as possible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Complementary and alternative treatments<\/strong>: Some dietary supplements and foods have shown signs in studies that they may help manage atherosclerosis risk factors. Talk with your doctor about possible benefits of nutritional supplements and particular foods. Be sure to discuss any nutritional supplements you\u2019re already taking. Some may interfere with other treatments or cause side effects. <\/p>\nProcedures or surgeries<\/strong>: You may need a procedure,\u00a0heart surgery, or other types of surgery\u00a0to treat disease resulting from plaque buildup. The type of procedures or surgery depends on arteries affected.<\/p>\n\n- Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)<\/strong>\u00a0opens coronary arteries that are narrowed or blocked by the buildup of plaque. A small mesh tube called a\u00a0stent\u00a0is usually\u00a0<\/strong>implanted after PCI to prevent the artery from narrowing again.<\/li>\n
- Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)<\/strong>\u00a0improves blood flow to the heart by using normal arteries from the chest wall or veins from the legs to bypass the blocked arteries. Surgeons typically use CABG to treat people who have severe plaque buildup in arteries in the heart. Bypass grafting can also treat arteries in other parts of the body, such as the arteries leading to the intestines.<\/li>\n
- Transmyocardial\u00a0laser revascularization\u00a0or coronary endarterectomy<\/strong>\u00a0treats severe angina associated with\u00a0coronary heart disease\u00a0when other treatments are too risky or did not work.<\/li>\n
- Carotid endarterectomy<\/strong>\u00a0treats carotid artery disease. Other treatment options for this disease may include angioplasty and carotid artery\u00a0stenting.<\/li>\n
- Weight-loss surgery<\/strong>\u00a0may help reduce inflammation leading to plaque buildup in people who have severe\u00a0obesity.<\/li>\n
- Angioplasty<\/strong>\u00a0opens narrowed or blocked arteries. Doctors may use angioplasty to treat\u00a0peripheral artery disease\u00a0affecting the legs, in the arteries of the heart to treat coronary heart disease, or in the neck to treat carotid artery disease. Your doctor may inflate a small balloon in the artery to help flatten the plaque. Sometimes the balloon is coated with medicine to help the artery heal. Your doctor may also insert a small mesh tube called a\u00a0stent\u00a0to reduce the chances of the artery narrowing again.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Source<\/strong>: https:\/\/www.nhlbi.nih.gov\/health\/atherosclerosis<\/a><\/p>\nKEYWORDS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Atherosclerosis vs arteriosclerosis,<\/li>\n
- risk of atherosclerosis,<\/li>\n
- How does smoking cause atherosclerosis,<\/li>\n
- plaque build up in arteries,<\/li>\n
- Atherosclerosis causes,<\/li>\n
- Atherosclerosis treatment,<\/li>\n
- Atherosclerosis diagnosis,<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
LINKS<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
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