A condition common to diabetics where plaque builds up within the walls of arteries and in time may completely prevent blood flow. Thick-walled blood vessels that carry blood from the heart toward cells in the body. A disease called atherosclerosis produces most of the circulatory problems observed in diabetics. Atherosclerosis, literally translated from Latin, means hardening of the arteries . Without the oxygen and nutrients supplied by arteries, cells and tissues die.
Healthy arteries are very important for having a healthy body.
The red vessel to the left is an artery, which we want to know about. In healthy arteries, the lumen is the open space through which blood flows. Three tissue layers called tunicae , or coats, surround the lumen. The tunica intima , or internal coat, is the innermost layer, composed of endothelial cells and a thin layer of protein called the internal basement membrane . Smooth muscle cells comprise the tunica media , or middle coat.