One or more types of CVD affect an estimated 58,800,000 Americans. The Process Underlying Most CVD Atherosclerosis is the process underlying the majority of heart attacks and most strokes.
Atherosclerosis is a buildup of material called plaque on and in the wall of an artery .
Plaque narrows the artery, making it less able to carry blood to the cells and tissues it is meant to supply with life-giving oxygen and nutrients . If the artery becomes totally blocked, these cells and tissues are injured and may even die. The total blocking of a narrowed artery is often the result of bleeding into the plaque or the formation of a blood clot on the surface of the plaque. When an artery in the heart is totally blocked, the result is a heart attack. If the blocked artery is in the neck or head, the result is a stroke.