It is the blockage or reduction of the heart's blood supply that causes angina and heart attack . There are certain conditions and habits that can increase a person's susceptibility to atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. These are referred to as risk factors . So, atherosclerosis is a disease of fatty hardening. This word refers to the group of diseases that cause thickening and loss of elasticity of the artery wall .
Atherosclerosis is a type of arteriosclerosis, but the two words are often used interchangeably.