Atherosclerosis

A chronic disease in which excessive amounts of fat and cholesterol remaining in the bloodstream collect on the inside walls of arteries, forming plaque that gradually thickens and hardens the arterial walls, slowing down and interfering with blood circulation until a blockage occurs. If blood cannot get through the affected vessel to nourish tissues, complications such as hypertension, stroke, gangrene, peripheral vascular disease, heart disease and other arteriosclerotic forms of disease can occur