Atherosclerosis Health Video

Atherosclerosis is a disease that inflames and constricts arterial blood vessels, at times obstructing circulation and requiring surgical intervention. Learn more about atherosclerosis, causes and symptoms, in this health video.

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Do not smoke
Maintain a healthy weight
If you are diabetic see a cardiologist
Control your blood pressure

About this Author

Dr. Dave Weiland has been practicing cardiology in the Bay Area for 21 years. On top of operating a practive in San Pablo, CA for the past 15 years, Dr. Weiland works with eight other doctors in traveling all around the Bay Area to treat patients everywhere. Dr. Weiland graduated from the Ohio State Medical School in 1981; following that with an additional six years of study at Tufts University. Dr. Weiland received his training in cardiology at the New England Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, and now teaches medical students about cardiology.

DR. DAVE WEILAND: Hi. We're going to talk now about atherosclerosis. This is Dr. David Weiland from East Bay Cardiology. Atherosclerosis is the term that involves disease of the arteries throughout the body where atheromas or cholesterol plaques develop in the arteries. This is commonly seen in patients with diabetes, family history of vascular disease, or heart disease, and in tobacco users. It also can be caused by high blood pressure. Symptoms of atherosclerosis involve lack of oxygen flowing to various tissues in the body. If there is atherosclerosis in the arteries to the legs often one will have calf pain when walking. If there is atherosclerosis in the arteries to the heart, one will have symptoms of angina or chest pain with exertion, shortness of breath with exertions. Atherosclerosis can also develop in the upper extremities and cause pain in the arms, and often can lead to blockage in the carotid arteries causing symptoms of stroke. Treatment for atherosclerosis involves treating the underlying causes, high blood pressure, for obese patients certainly to lose weight, for patients with high cholesterol to aggressively treat their cholesterol abnormality. Diabetics often are at very increased risk and again controlling diabetes, and certainly anybody who is at risk for atherosclerosis should not smoke cigarettes. How to take action: If one develops atherosclerosis, reducing risk factors is of utmost importance. This can often be done under the direction of a physician. It will involve controlling blood pressure and aggressively treating smoking problems. There are many different ways to treat smoking including medications, tobacco patches, and this should be undertaken under the care of a physician.

Atherosclerosis Health Video

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