Over time, heart disease leads to major problems involving the heart, the lungs, the kidneys, and eventually every body system, since every organ in the body relies on the heart for oxygen and nutrients. Typically, the blockage which causes the problem is created by a sticky buildup known as an atherosclerotic plaque. Atherosclerosis Atherosclerosis is a disease which preferentially affects the large and medium-sized arteries. An atherosclerotic plaque is composed of cholesterol, fats, and other cellular debris. As these are deposited along the artery walls, atherosclerosis develops and leads to decreased blood flow beyond the blockage because of increasing constriction of the passageway.
Atherosclerosis is a problem that tends to compound itself.
As the artery narrows, tiny clots capable of passing through a healthy artery become caught in the plaque and further obstruct the blood flow. Furthermore, the plaque itself can initiate the formation of a clot. Endothelial dysfunction allows accumulation of lipoproteins in the subendothelial space, where chemical modification of LDL can occur. Modified LDL recruits monocytes into the vessel wall, where these cells are converted to macrophages that engulf the modified lipoproteins and become foam cells. Fatty streaks do not cause symptoms and are present in the aorta and coronary arteries of most individuals by age 20.