There are several diseases associated with blocked arteries. According to the Franklin Institute--one of the top science education and development centers in the United States--arteries are tough on the outside and smooth on the inside, and are composed of three distinct layers, including an outer tissue layer, a muscular middle and a thin inner layer of epithelial cells. In a healthy individual, the inner layer of epithelial cells is smooth, which allows blood to flow unimpeded toward the tissues and organs.
Coronary Artery Disease
According to MedlinePlus, coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease, and is the No. 1 cause of death among American men and women. Coronary artery disease occurs when a person's coronary arteries--arteries that feed blood to the heart--become hardened and narrowed. Blood flow through the coronary arteries is blocked by cholesterol and other material, known as plaque, that accumulates on the inner walls of the arteries. As plaque accumulates in the coronary arteries, the heart gets less blood and oxygen, which can lead to chest pain, or angina, or a heart attack. According to MedlinePlus, over time, coronary artery disease causes weakening of the heart muscle and can lead to heart failure and arrhythmias, or abnormal heart rhythms.
Peripheral Artery Disease
The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, or NHLBI--a division of the National Institutes of Health--states that peripheral artery disease occurs when plaque accumulates in the arteries that carry blood to the head, organs and extremities. According to the NHLBI, plaque in the peripheral arteries is composed of fat, cholesterol, calcium, fibrous tissue and other elements in the blood, and over time, plaque causes the peripheral arteries to narrow and harden, which reduces the amount of oxygenated blood reaching the organs and other body parts. Peripheral artery disease typically affects the legs, although it may also affect the arteries carrying blood to the head, arms, kidneys and stomach. The NHLBI notes that if a person has peripheral artery disease, his risk for coronary artery disease, heart attack, stroke and transient ischemic attack is six to seven times greater than for a person without peripheral artery disease.
Stroke
According to the National Stroke Association, or NSA, stroke is the third most common cause of death among Americans, and is a leading cause of disability in the United States. However, the NSA reports that up to 80 percent of strokes can be prevented. A stroke occurs when a portion of a blood clot breaks off, travels upstream through an artery and lodges in one of the brain's narrow-gauge blood vessels. The part of a blood clot that breaks off and travels upstream to the brain is called an embolus, and it can impair blood flow to a portion of the brain, which causes brain cell death and brain damage. According to the NSA, stroke-related brain damage can affect speech, movement and memory. Stroke-related brain damage largely depends on where the arterial blockage occurs and the size of the affected area.
