Heart Disease: Vascular Disease
As the heart beats, it pumps blood through a system of blood vessels called
the circulatory system. The vessels are elastic tubes that carry blood to every
part of the body. Arteries carry blood away from the heart while veins return
it.
Vascular disease includes any condition that affects your circulatory system.
This ranges from diseases of your arteries, veins and lymph vessels to blood
disorders that affect circulation. The following are conditions that fall under
the category of vascular disease.
Peripheral Artery Disease
Like the blood vessels of the heart (coronary arteries), your peripheral
arteries (blood vessels outside your heart) also may develop atherosclerosis,
the build-up of fat and cholesterol deposits, called plaque, on the inside
walls. Over time, the build-up narrows the artery. Eventually the narrowed
artery causes less blood to flow and a condition called "ischemia" can occur.
Ischemia is inadequate blood flow to the body's tissue.
- A blockage in the coronary arteries can cause symptoms of chest pain (angina) or a heart attack.
- A blockage in the carotid arteries (the arteries supplying the brain) can
lead to a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke.
- A blockage in the legs can lead to leg pain or cramps with activity (a
condition called claudication), changes in skin color, sores or ulcers and
feeling tired in the legs. Total loss of circulation can lead to gangrene and
loss of a limb.
- A blockage in the renal arteries (arteries supplying the
kidneys) can cause renal artery disease (stenosis). The symptoms include
uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure), heart failure and abnormal kidney function.
Aneurysm
An aneurysm is an abnormal bulge in the wall of a blood vessel. They can form
in any blood vessel, but they occur most commonly in the aorta (aortic aneurysm)
which is the main blood vessel leaving the heart. The two types of aortic
aneurysm are
Small aneurysms generally pose no threat. However, one is at increased risk for:
- Atherosclerotic plaque (fat and calcium deposits) formation at the site
of the aneurysm.
- A clot (thrombus) may form at the site and dislodge.
-
Increase in the aneurysm size, causing it to press on other organs, causing
pain.
- Aneurysm rupture - because the artery wall thins at this spot, it is fragile and may burst under stress. A sudden rupture of an aortic aneurysm may be life threatening
Next: Renal (kidney) artery disease »
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