General Information About Cardiovascular Plaque
Disease Details and Frequently Asked Questions
They are mounds formed by the gradual accumulation of cholesterol, fat, calcium, and inflammatory cells on the inner surface of the coronary arteries that carry blood to the heart muscle over the years.
High blood pressure or cigarette smoke scratches the inner surface (endothelium) of the vessel. Bad Cholesterol (LDL) circulating in the blood leaks in through these scratches, the immune system attacks this area, and eventually, a fatty plaque is formed.
Plaque usually gives no symptoms until it blocks more than 70% of the vessel's diameter and critically impairs blood flow. When the narrowing increases, pressure/pain in the chest (angina) begins while walking or with exertion.
Most heart attacks do not happen because a vessel slowly blocks 100%, but because a soft plaque suddenly cracks or ruptures. The body thinks this tear is a wound and quickly covers it with a clot, and that clot completely blocks the vessel within seconds.
Stress tests and Echocardiography show the risks. The exact location of the plaques inside the vessels and the degree of narrowing they create are definitively determined by Coronary Angiography (entering from the groin/arm) or CT (Virtual) Angiography.
There is no drug that completely destroys (dissolves) a formed and calcified plaque. Cholesterol drugs (statins) stop the growth of the plaque and prevent its rupture (heart attack). If the blockage is life-threatening, a Balloon/Stent is placed via Angiography or Bypass surgery is performed.
Our health library contents are prepared for informational purposes only and with scientific data available at the time of recording. For all your questions, concerns, diagnosis, or treatment regarding your health, please consult your doctor or a healthcare institution.
