For additional Healthcare News visit our Breaking News Archive. Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants found in tea, red wine, and certain fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants are substances that prevent or slow the damaging effects of oxygen, such as cell damage and other changes in the body, caused by oxidation. Scientists are learning more about the potentially protective nature of these antioxidants against cardiovascular disease and cancer. Atherosclerosis is a type of arteriosclerosis caused by a build-up of plaque in the inner lining of an artery.
Arteriosclerosis is a general term for thickening or hardening of the arteries.
This is a slow, progressive disease that may start as early as childhood. The disease has the potential to progress rapidly, or it may not become threatening for several decades. Plaque is made up of deposits of fatty substances, cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium and fibrin. The artery and place within it that the plaque develops varies. When a hemorrhage or thrombus causes a blockage of the entire artery, a heart attack or stroke may result.