Atherosclerosis – colloquially called arteriosclerosis – (synonyms: Arteriosclerosis; Arteriosclerosis; Atherosclerosis; ICD-10-GM I70.-: Atherosclerosis) refers to a chronic progressive (advancing) process that leads to characteristic changes in the inner layer (intima) and the inner layer (intima media) of the arterial wall. Sclerosis occurs there due to connective tissue proliferation, leading to degenerative-necrotizing changes in the intima, where cholesterol, fatty acids and calcium are deposited.
However, atherosclerosis must not be understood as a systemic disease, since its expression varies considerably and certain anatomical regions (e.g. internal thoracic artery (mammary artery)) are practically always left out.
Sex ratio: Male to female is 5: 1 (occlusive disease).
Frequency peak: The disease starts already in adolescence. However, symptoms do not appear until middle to older age. It can be assumed that people over 80 years of age always have atherosclerosis.
The prevalence (disease incidence) is particularly high in industrialized countries.
Course and prognosis: Atherosclerosis has a slow course. It takes several decades for symptoms to develop due to the vascular changes. The course of the disease can be positively influenced by early therapy. The prognosis depends mainly on the presence of other risk factors such as hypertension (high blood pressure), obesity, diabetes mellitus and tobacco consumption. Common consequences of atherosclerosis include apoplexy (stroke), myocardial infarction (heart attack), aortic aneurysm (dilatation of the abdominal aorta), and peripheral arterial disease (PAVD).
