Common diseases & risk factors

How Avi Medical helps you with arteriosclerosis

Arteriosclerosis is considered the starting point of many cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes. Together, these diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels are the most common cause of death in the world.

Early diagnosis of existing arteriosclerosis is therefore essential for your long-term health. The chronic degenerative disease cannot yet be cured causally. However, there are a number of therapeutic options for alleviating the symptoms.

Our doctors at Avi Medical are at your side for all medical measures in the fight against atherosclerosis at all our locations. Always starting with the most important: targeted prevention, which includes early identification of your individual risk factors.  

What is arteriosclerosis?

Arteriosclerosis refers to pathological damage or narrowing of the arterial walls, which can affect all layers of the arteries and is caused by plaque deposits. This plaque consists of blood components such as calcium or fat and henceforth impedes the flow of blood through the vessels. The result: muscles and organs are no longer supplied with sufficient blood and thus oxygen and nutrients. It is also possible for the deposits to detach, which then leads to embolisms.  

A subgenus of arteriosclerosis is artherosclerosis, which is often used synonymously and sounds very similar. However, this term specifically refers only to damage to the intima, i.e. the inner artery walls.    

At what point is it arteriosclerosis?

Arteriosclerosis is present at the moment when a reduced transport capacity of the arteries is diagnosed due to damaged arterial walls.

What are the triggers of arteriosclerosis?

The development of arteriosclerosis has not yet been conclusively explained. However, the following factors have been proven to play a role:

- Chronic stress on the arterial walls due to diseases such as high blood pressure, lipid metabolism disorders, rheumatism, diabetes and autoimmune diseases.

- Long-term regular consumption of toxic substances such as nicotine and alcohol

- Obesity

- genetic predisposition

- Stress and sleep disorders  

- Renal insufficiency

Each of these factors leads to long-term damage to the artery walls, which is accompanied by plaque deposits. These deposits eventually lead to an inflammatory response by the body. As a result, the body's own immune system cells attack and "eat" the deposits, forming so-called foam cells - which in turn also damage the artery walls. The result is a degenerative vicious circle that requires medical treatment. As doctors at Avi Medical, we are happy to assist you here.

What are the possible causes of arteriosclerosis? 

Arteriosclerosis itself is asymptomatic. You only recognise the clinical picture by the resulting secondary diseases that can occur throughout the body. These include:

- Coronary heart disease, such as narrowing of the coronary arteries leading to a heart attack.

- Peripheral arterial occlusion, such as shop window disease (occlusion of the arteries in the leg).  

- Diseases caused by a narrowing of arteries supplying the brain, such as dementia or stroke.

- Intestinal and renal infarction  

The treatment of atherosclerosis at Avi Medical

Our experienced doctors at Avi Medical will guide you through every step of your atherosclerosis treatment. This consists of a total of three components:

- Diagnosis of individual risk factors including check-up examinations (medical history, laboratory checks, sonography)

- Targeted reduction of risk factors (for example, through lifestyle changes or medications such as lipid and blood pressure lowering drugs) in conjunction with regular check-ups.

- Follow-up care for existing symptoms (e.g. with medications such as antiplatelet drugs, which reduce the risk of the arteries becoming blocked again).