Atherosclerosis: what causes it and how to prevent it

Atherosclerosis occurs when the arteries – the blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients from the heart to the rest of the body – thicken and harden,sometimes restricting the flow of blood to organs and tissues.

This may be due to atherosclerosis, a specific type of arteriosclerosis that involves abuild-up of fats, cholesterol and other substances in and on the walls of the arteries, forming plaque that restricts the flow of blood.

The causes of atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a slow, progressive disease that can begin to develop in childhood.

Although its exact causes are unknown, atherosclerosis can begin with an injury to the inner lining of an artery, due to:

• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• High triglycerides
• Smoking
• Insulin resistance, whether due to obesity or diabetes
• Inflammation due to diseases such as arthritis, lupus or other infections, etc.

When the inner wall of the artery has been damaged, certain substances and oxidised LDL “bad” cholesterol tend to build up at the site of the injury, coating the inner lining of the artery, causing it to harden and narrow the arteries, blocking the flow of blood to other organs.

Symptoms

In the early stages of the disease, the symptoms are hardly noticeable, in fact they only start to be felt when theblockage in the arteries is severe, resulting in severe pain in the affected area.

Additionally, when the flow of blood slows, it can cause chest pain and shortness of breath.

The areas that are worst affected by this disease are the heart, the carotid, and the cerebral and lower extremity arteries.

However, the symptoms do not affect everyone in the same way; in some people they occur when they are at rest, while in others they only appear when they are carrying out some form of activity.

How to prevent atherosclerosis

If you want to prevent it, the most important thing is to avoid risk factors such as:

• An unhealthy diet and eating saturated fats
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol levels
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Smoking and drinking alcohol
• A family history of early heart disease
• A lack of exercise

The best advice is to follow a balanced and healthy diet, containing foods that help to lower “bad” cholesterol (e.g. walnuts, extra virgin olive oil, fruits rich in antioxidants such as pomegranates, etc.) and to exercise regularly.

Diet is not always enough and food supplements with natural extracts can be of great help, like Keriba Duo, which is composed of extracts of the fresh whole fruits of the pomegranate and olive, which are rich in natural antioxidants that help to lower the levels of “bad” cholesterol in plasma and prevent cardiovascular diseases like hypertension and atherosclerosis.