PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS

So, you've been told you have Atherosclerosis of the aorta, or perhaps worse still cerebral atherosclerosis. Actually, in this latter case, it's likely your family that would be told - by the time it's been diagnosed there's a good chance you've already lost your marbles and won't have a clue about atherosclerosis disease.

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ATHEROSCLEROSIS DEFINITION

CAUSES OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS

1. It all begins with a small injury to a blood vessel wall. That could be a viral or bacterial infection, exposure to certain chemicals and smoking is considered the greatest risk factor. Something toxic in the blood causes a small lesion in the inner lining (known as the "intima") of the arterial wall.
2. In people with high LDL, the "bad" cholesterol, fat droplets start being deposited at the site of injury.




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An aside: What do the terms HDL and LDL mean and why are they so important? Read more at this site on EXERCISE AND CHOLESTEROL ...

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The next step in the atherosclerosis disease process is...
3. Droplets of fat in the intima of the blood vessel wall are recognised by the immune system as a "foreign body" provoking an attack from the immune system T cells seeking to protect the wall of the artery from the invading substance, fat droplets.

   This is even more the case once fats have become oxidised. The T cells especially do not recognise the oxidised droplets of cholesterol in the wall of the artery as being normal, attacking the enemy and setting up a powerful inflammatory process deep within arteries, often at numerous sites throughout the arterial system.

   Of this slow progression of serious disease deep within our blood vessels we are totally unaware. We may feel perhaps some malaise, tiredness, but we cannot connect with this as the beginnings of atherosclerosis symptoms.

   This is the beginning of the formation of "atherosclerotic plaque". Most significant, the lumen of the artery is becoming narrowed, and the heart has to pump harder to get sufficient blood through the narrowed artery.

4. Smooth muscles cells in the intima begin to proliferate further narrowing the lumen of the artery.
5. "Sticky" blood cells now begin to attach themselves to the site of the injury adding to the plaque.
6. A piece of this plaque breaks free, called an embolus or clot, travelling along the artery until it reaches a small artery in the lungs, brain, heart... lung infarct, stroke, heart attack...

All in all, the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis is extremely complex and still being unravelled by scientists.

However, poly-unsaturated oils such as sunflower oil and margarines are "heat-labile"- susceptible to break down and be oxidised at high temperatures. This happens both in the processing of such oils (hence always look for "cold-pressed" oils) and when used in high temperature cooking.

The moral of the story? When next buying french fries, always ask when the oil was last changed and when cooking at home use olive oil for frying and cooking, or butter if your total cholesterol is below 5.1 (200). Uncertain what these values should be? Read FOODS TO AVOID HIGH CHOLESTEROL ...

PREVENTION OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS

PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS

It's long been known that oats is the most powerful foodstuff in the fight to lower elevated bad cholesterol, a big factor in the causes of atherosclerosis. Quaker Oats recipes ...

A researcher at Tufts University, Mohsen Meydani, working in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and nutrition has now proved that oats does much more in the fight against the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis than simply lower blood cholesterol. Oats contains an antioxidant that prevents sticky blood cells from adhering to the walls of damaged arteries, even reducing atherosclerosis hypertension (high blood pressure) for example.

Work is continuing on how oats not only reduces the inflammatory changes that build up in arterial cells walls damaged by atherosclerosis disease, but also helps by reducing the proliferation of damaged smooth muscle cells than line the inner walls of all arteries.

So, don't be totally despondent if you've been told you have atherosclerosis of the aorta for example, the very large artery that supplies the bowel and legs. Whilst attempts to reverse atherosclerosis are probably in vain you can do much to prevent the further prolification of atherosclerosis symptoms and disease at this site of inflammation and at new sites. How much a loved one with cerebral atherosclerosis can be helped is less certain. But what's the harm in trying 2-3 tablespoons of oats every morning for breakfast? Almost certainly cheaper than all the frosties, crispies and toasties on the market.

Just as important is researchers are now finding that the antioxidant in oats also prevents any cancer cells that line the inner wall of your bowel from proliferating too.

(Agricultural Research Feb 2010)

Delicious Oats breakfast

1. Add 2-3 TBSP of dry oats to a bowl.
2. Add a handful of dried raisins, dried fruit, favourite nuts and seeds.
3. Chop in some of your favourite fruit. Perhaps Strawberries, grapes, blueberries ...
4. Add a cup of boiling water.
5. No sugar is necessary but perhaps half a tsp of raw honey.
6. Leave to soak for perhaps 20-30 mins. Perhaps microwave for one minute if it's too chewy.
7. Add a couple TBSP of yoghurt.

ATHEROSCLEROSIS SYMPTOMS

PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS

If it's the one of the coronary arteries, then chest pain with exercise will be the order of the day, as the heart muscle doesn't get enough blood. Angina.

If it's one of the iliac arteries that pass through the groin on the way to the leg, then you will get pain in the leg WITH EXERCISE. As soon as you rest, the pain goes away.

If you love to read, enjoy this freebie from my third book, Stones in my Clog, fascinating anecdotes from Bernie Preston's chiropractic coalface. Is it possible that a chiropractor could diagnose a blocked artery that medicine had missed for two years? Nope, it wasn't sciatica after all as they told him. Two simple basic tests made the diagnosis, confirmed by an angiogram, but the old rule repeats itself again and again: IF YOU DON'T LOOK FOR IT, YOU WON'T FIND IT. Something predictable Something surprising ...

One of the best things for early cerebral atherosclerosis is brain exercise. If you enjoyed this short story, the whole book costs only $2.99, downloaded as a pdf file directly on to you computer. Feed your brain, have lots of laughs and not a few sober moments, and support this website. Just $2.99 ... Our Store ... look for Stones in my Clog.

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ATHEROSCLEROSIS OF THE AORTA

PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS

As the blood pressure rises, caused by the general narrowing of the arteries forcing the heart to pump harder, the bulge in the aneurism silently increases in size. Then one day, poof... a bout of coughing, bearing down too hard on the toilet, a fit of rage, rushing across a busy street increases the pressure sufficiently to burst the artery. In the case of the aorta, the usual result is very sudden death.

INTERMITTENT CLAUDICATION

Walking produces severe pain in the calf, cycling in the thigh muscle.

The sign your chiropractor will look for to distinguish between claudication and sciatica is the presence of the pulse in the ankle and on the foot.

Atherosclerosis of the aorta and Low Back Pain

Postmortem studies have found a strong correlation between artheriosclerosis of the aorta and degenerative disc disease. The tissues of the spine simply don't get enough oxygen to heal after injury resulting in chronic lower back pain. ATHEROSCLEROSIS symptoms Low Back Pain ...

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PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS

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