MHVI Owners Manual . Conditions . Vascular Disease

Atherosclerosis, as you may recall if you read the section in this manual on coronary artery disease, is the buildup of fats, cholesterol, and other material on the inside of artery walls. Atherosclerosis can affect any of the arteries of the body. This buildup, called plaque, gradually decreases the diameter of the artery so that less blood is able to pass through. The cells, tissue, and organs that are supplied by blocked arteries no longer receive enough blood and oxygen.

At times, a piece of the plaque may break off and travel through the artery until it gets stuck and can go no further, causing a total blockage in that artery. When either a clot or plaque moves through the arteries and gets lodged downstream it is called an embolus. When there are symptoms related to the buildup of atherosclerosis or when an embolus occurs, it is called vascular disease. In this section of your manual, you will learn about some of the most common types of vascular disease.

Choose a topic at left and click for more information on Vascular Disease.