Over time, as you gradually age, your arteries naturally begin to harden and get narrower, leading to atherosclerosis. However, there are many factors that can dangerously accelerate this process. These are described below.
High-fat diets and cholesterol
Cholesterol is a type of fat that is essential for the functioning of the body. Cholesterol helps to produce hormones, to make up cell membranes (the walls that protect individual cells) and to protect nerve endings.
There are two main types of cholesterol:
- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) is mostly made up of fat, plus a small amount of protein. This type of cholesterol can block your arteries, so it is often referred to as 'bad cholesterol'.
- High-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) is mostly made up of protein, plus a small amount of fat. This type of cholesterol can help to reduce any blockage in your arteries, so it is often referred to as 'good cholesterol'.
Most of the cholesterol that your body needs is manufactured by your liver. However, if you eat foods that are high in saturated fat, the fat is broken down into LDL-C or more commonly referred to as bad cholesterol.
Foods that are high in saturated fat include:
- butter
- biscuits
- cakes
- bacon
- sausages
- processed meat
- cream
The LDL-C l sticks to your artery walls in the form of fatty deposits which, over time, gradually build up, narrowing, or completely blocking, your blood supply. The fatty deposits are also known as plaques or atheroma.
As well as a high-fat diet, a lack of regular exercise, being obese and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can also increase the levels of LDL cholesterol in your body. The medical term for having high cholesterol is hyperlipidemia.
Smoking
Smoking can damage the walls of your arteries. If your arteries are damaged by smoking, blood cells, known as platelets, will form at the site of the damage to try to repair it. This can cause your arteries to narrow.
Smoking also decreases the blood's ability to carry oxygen around your body, which increases the chances of a blood clot occurring.
High blood pressure
If you have high blood pressure (hypertension) it will damage your arteries in the same way as cigarette smoke. Your arteries were designed to pump blood at a certain pressure. If that pressure is exceeded, the walls of the arteries will be damaged. High blood pressure can be caused by:
- stress
- being overweight
- drinking excessive amounts of alcohol
- smoking
- a lack of exercise
Lack of exercise
As with being overweight or obese, a lack of exercise is not directly related to an increased risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, it is linked to an increased risk of being overweight or obese and having high blood pressure (hypertension).
As with being overweight or obese, a lack of exercise is not directly related to an increased risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, it is linked to an increased risk of being overweight or obese and having high blood pressure (hypertension).
Obesity
Being overweight or obese does not directly increase your risk of developing atherosclerosis and CVD, but it does lead to related risk factors that do. In particular, people who are overweight or obese:
- have an increased risk of developing high blood pressure
- tend to have higher levels of cholesterol as a result of eating a high-fat diet
- have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes
Diabetes
If you have poorly controlled type 1 or type 2 diabetes, the excess glucose in your blood can damage the walls of your arteries.
Alcohol
Drinking an excessive amount of alcohol can cause high blood pressure (hypertension) and raised blood cholesterol levels, increasing your risk of developing atherosclerosis and CVD.
Most heavy drinkers also tend to have other unhealthy habits, such as smoking, eating a high-fat diet and not taking enough exercise.
Family history
If you have a first-degree relative (a parent, or a brother or sister) with atherosclerosis and CVD, you are twice as likely to develop similar problems compared with the population at large.
Ethnicity
Rates of high blood pressure and diabetes are higher among people of African and Afro-Caribbean descent. This means that people in this group also have an increased risk of developing atherosclerosis and CVD.
People of South Asian descent (those from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) are five times more likely to develop diabetes compared with the population at large. Again, this increases this group’s risk of developing atherosclerosis and CVD.
Air pollution
Research that was carried out during 2009 suggested that air pollution, in particular traffic pollution, can cause a slight increase in levels of atherosclerosis.
Researchers found that people living within 50 metres of a major road had higher levels of atherosclerosis than would otherwise be expected.
4 comments:
wow i guess getting fat is a real big deal after all ..:/
There are some interesting factors here which we never thought of.
How does air pollution increases the level of atherosclerosis?
Is atherosclerosis a consequence of aging and therefore a degenerating desease?
Dear Le Cancer Du Poumon,
Although the air pollution's atherogenic mechanism ( formation of arterial plaque) is unclear, it is hypothesised that one of the atherogenic effects of air pollution is the inactivation of alpha-1 antitrypsin molecules in plasma via oxidation. The oxidised alpha-1 antitrypsin attaches to LDL-C and forms a complex in the blood stream of the lungs. This complex goes through intima with the action of a mediator. In the vascular wall it is catabolised 4 times more effectively than LDL-C alone. This results in the formation of foamy cells that characterize atherosclerosis.
Thanks!
Post a Comment