Arteriosclerosis is a form of cardiovascular disease and is often confused with another form of cardiovascular disease called atherosclerosis. Arteriosclerosis is a general disease term that defines hardening of the arteries--blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. Atherosclerosis relates to the arteries that supply blood to the heart. The primary risk factors for arteriosclerosis include age, gender, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cigarette smoking and diabetes.
Uncontrollable Risk Factors
Uncontrollable risk factors for arteriosclerosis include gender and age. As we age, our arteries become harder and less distensible. As a result, the heart has to work harder to circulate blood throughout the body. Men are typically at higher risk for arteriosclerosis than women because of their built-in protection from estrogen. Once women reach menopause, their relative risk increases, equal to men. While there isn't much we can do about our age or gender, we can understand how it figures into our risk for arteriosclerosis and learn how to offset it with risk factors that are under our control.
Controllable Risk Factors
Controllable risk factors are the lifestyle choices we make that directly contribute to our risk for arteriosclerosis. These include managing blood pressure, diabetes, body weight, cholesterol and cigarette smoking. High blood pressure affects more than 73 million Americans and damages the internal lining of the arteries. Over time, the arterial walls become rigid and less distensible. People who are overweight or obese cause the heart to beat harder, resulting in more more pressure that damages the arterial walls. High cholesterol can lead to the calcification and buildup of plaque on the inside of the walls of the arteries. High glucose levels from diabetes can irritate the lining of the arteries. Cigarette smoking contains carbon monoxide and hundreds of toxic chemicals that injure the delicate lining of the arterial walls and accelerate coronary artery disease.
Mitigating Your Risk
While we may be powerless to change our inherited risk factors, we can manage some through diet, exercise and positive lifestyle changes. People who come from parents who are obese have a preponderance to obesity themselves. Although they inherit this risk factor, diet and exercise can help to offset the risks they're born with. Gender, age, blood pressure, cholesterol, stress and cigarette smoking all have elements of risk that can be managed, reducing their risk for arteriosclerosis.
