Atherosclerosis
Alternate Names : Arteriosclerosis, Hardening of the Arteries
What can be done to prevent the disease?
In some cases, atherosclerosis cannot be prevented. A person may be able to reduce his or her risk for developing atherosclerosis in the following ways:
Control diabetes.
Eat a heart-healthy diet.
Follow the American Heart Association, or AHA, recommendations for high cholesterol.
Get 30 minutes of physical activity every day or almost every day.
Maintain a healthy body weight.
Seek effective treatment for high blood pressure
What are the long-term effects of the disease?
Unchecked atherosclerosis will continue to narrow the large and medium arteries
supplying the body's vital organs. This can result in serious medical problems,
such as heart attack, kidney
failure, and stroke.
What are the risks to others?
Atherosclerosis is not contagious. It does, however, seem to run in families. If one or
both parents have atherosclerosis, a person should make every
effort to reduce his or her coronary risk
factors. This is especially true for people whose parents developed atherosclerosis
early in life.
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