These hard, fibrous plaques prevent the artery from remaining flexible, creating what is called hardening of the arteries . Plaques inside the walls of the arteries restrict the flow of blood to the organs that require it, particularly the heart muscles. When these muscles don't get enough fuel they can be permanently injured, unable to function again, causing heart failure. Atherosclerosis doesn't just block the arteries to the heart. Blood vessels in the entire body are affected and major organs can be severely taxed or fail from the lack of sufficient blood.
Plaque formations are doubly dangerous.
As the arteries become more brittle, any excess pressure, perhaps from a sudden increase in activity, can rupture the arterial wall and can cause an aneurism or a stroke. If these plaque deposits break off, a clot can be sent to the heart and can cause a heart attack, or if it is in the artery feeding the brain, can result in a stroke. For most people, atherosclerosis can be reversed. It was thought for many years that the damage was always permanent and the only way to make sure the heart could receive a sufficient blood supply was to repair the arteries through surgery. Unfortunately, many medical professionals still recommend angioplasty or by-pass surgery first, rather than giving their patients the choice of reversing their condition through a change in lifestyle.