Atherothrombosis

Atherothrombosis is a leading cause of death in many developed countries and yet not many people are familiar with the condition. When people talk about cardiovascular disease, they are seldom aware that heart attack, stroke and peripheral arterial disease have a common underlying condition. This is atherothrombosis, a condition that is linked to serious and often fatal diseases. Nearly 12 million people worldwide die every year of diseases associated with atherothrombosis, yet awareness of the condition remains low. The word atherothrombosis describes the process by which a blood clot forms on a fatty deposit in the wall of blood vessels and that the formation of a blood clot is called thrombosis and the fatty deposit in the blood vessel is called an atheroma. When the atheroma ruptures, a blood clot is formed and it obstructs the flow of blood through the artery. When this happens in the heart, it is called a heart attack. When it happens in the head, we call it stroke.
Atherothrombosis play a central role in heart attacks because it causes the blockage that obstructs the flow of oxygenated blood to the heart. The starved heart muscle begins to die and, depending on the size of the blockage and the time taken to get to emergency room, the heart may lose some or all of its ability to contract and pump blood. This is why people who think they may be suffering from a heart attack should get medical help as soon as possible. Within a couple of hours, the damage is small and we can salvage the heart muscle. But beyond four hours, the results are not so good. When atherothrombosis occurs in artery of the brain, it can starve brain cells in a similar way. This causes irreversible brain damage and neurological problems. While people are aware of heart attack and stroke as medical emergencies, peripheral arterial disease (PAD), also a serious illness often goes undiagnosed. The disease occurs when arteries that supply blood to the legs get blocked. Reduction of blood flow to the lower limbs is dangerous because it can ultimately lead to amputation of the limb. PAD can manifest itself in fairly mild ways such as intermittent pain in the calf muscles or a non-healing foot wound. People often do not think it can be connected to anything as serious as atherothrombosis and, hence, may not seek medical help for it. So, to avoid atherothrombosis and its complications, understanding more about them is important.