Nursing NUR301 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Hypertension, Peripheral Artery Disease, Chronic Kidney Disease
Document Summary
Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is a condition in which plaque builds up inside the arteries. Plaque is made of cholesterol, fatty substances, cellular waste products, calcium and fibrin (a clotting material in the blood). Arteriosclerosis is a general term for the thickening and hardening of arteries. Plaque may partially or totally block the blood"s flow through an artery in the heart, brain, pelvis, legs, arms or kidneys. Some of the diseases that may develop as a result of atherosclerosis include coronary heart disease, angina (chest pain), carotid artery disease, peripheral artery disease (pad) and chronic kidney disease. Two things that can happen where plaque occurs are: A piece of the plaque may break off. A blood clot (thrombus) may form on the plaque"s surface. If either of these occurs and blocks the artery, a heart attack or stroke may result. The type of artery affected and where the plaque develops varies with each person.
