what is a major cause of arteriosclerosis
The plaques of atherosclerosis cause the three main kinds of cardiovascular disease 1  : Coronary artery disease: Stable plaques in the heart's arteries cause angina (chest pain on exertion). 2  Sudden plaque rupture and clotting causes heart muscle to die. 3  This is a heart attack, or myocardial infarction.laques from atherosclerosis can behave in different ways. 1  They can stay within the artery wall. 2  There, the plaque grows to a certain size and stops. 3  Since this plaque doesn't block blood flow, it may never cause symptoms. 4  Plaque can grow in a slow, controlled way into the path of blood flow.