Arteriosclerosis refers to thinning of arteries, and later it gets hardened. This stops the circulation of blood in the body. Atherosclerosis is a type of Arteriosclerosis.
This decreases the circulation of blood in the body. Arteriosclerosis depends on the size of the arteries. Atherosclerosis can harden large arteries.
Key Takeaways
- Arteriosclerosis is a general term for the hardening and thickening of the arterial walls. At the same time, atherosclerosis is a specific type of arteriosclerosis involving plaque buildup in the arterial walls.
- Arteriosclerosis is often associated with ageing, while atherosclerosis is often associated with unhealthy lifestyle choices such as smoking and a high-fat diet.
- Arteriosclerosis can lead to various health problems, such as high blood pressure, while atherosclerosis can lead to more serious conditions, such as heart attack and stroke.
Arteriosclerosis vs Atherosclerosis
Arteriosclerosis is a term that refers to the thickening and hardening of the arterial walls. Atherosclerosis is a specific type of arteriosclerosis and occurs when plaque, which is made up of cholesterol, fatty substances, and other materials, builds up on the inner lining of the artery walls.
Arteriosclerosis can occur when blood vessels start getting thick and then block blood circulation to body organs. Arteries circulate blood to the organs of the body. Arteries lose their flexibility.
The elasticity goes away and then blocks the path of blood circulation, which later hardens the arteries in the body.
Atherosclerosis can occur in a body when the person is experiencing a high level of cholesterol in the body. Even high levels of triglyceride can lead to Atherosclerosis.
Smoking is also a factor that can lead to Atherosclerosis. The symptoms can start with chest pain, vision problems, or ineffective talking.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Arteriosclerosis | Atherosclerosis |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Atheromatous plaque causes arteries hard | Simply hardening of arteries |
| Aging | Yes | No |
| Plaque Buildup | No | Yes |
| Cholesterol level | High | Does not matters |
| Genes | Affects | Does not affects |
| Heart Problems | Yes | No |
What is Arteriosclerosis?
This occurs when blood flows get restricted, and then fat cholesterol starts getting built on the walls of the arteries. This hardens the arteries and can affect mostly the heart. Arteriosclerosis leads to Atherosclerosis. This can cause many more diseases especially related to the heart.
Heart disease is the most happening disease. There are types of Arteriosclerosis that depend on the sizes of arteries. Atherosclerosis can harden large arteries. Moenckeberg medial calcific sclerosis can harden medium-sized arteries.
This can occur when blood vessels start getting thick and then block blood circulation to body organs. Arteries circulate blood to the organs of the body. Arteries lose their flexibility. The elasticity goes away and then blocks the path of blood circulation, which later hardens the arteries in the body.
This disease has no symptoms. Even the kidney fails in this disease. A person can even lose vision in one eye.
High blood pressure can even be a symptom of the disease. It can lead to obesity. A person with this disease can cause high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Diabetic persons are prone to this disease. A person belonging to a family who has a history of heart disease can cause this disease. Smoking can also cause this disease.
What is Atherosclerosis?
The reason for this disease is still unknown. It generally happens in childhood or even starts in late childhood. There is a formation of plague in the beginning. Endothelium gets damaged later. This can occur in the body when the person is experiencing a high level of cholesterol in the body.
Even high levels of triglyceride can lead to Atherosclerosis. Smoking is also a factor that can lead to Atherosclerosis. This disease does not have symptoms, so a person cannot identify the problem in the body at an early stage.
The symptoms give a signal when arteries are already mostly thin. The symptoms can start with chest pain, vision problems, or ineffective talking. The person has to undergo various medical tests to evaluate if the person has Atherosclerosis.
A person is told to take an MRI test, ultrasonography, and electrocardiogram. The first thing is to take care of the blood sugar and cholesterol in the body. The person has to maintain the levels in the body.
The person is a smoker. Then the person has to seize smoke. The physician gives antiplatelet medicines. These medicines prevent the body from blood clotting. The person has to eat a balanced diet and avoid eating oily foods.
Main Differences Between Arteriosclerosis and Atherosclerosis
- Arteriosclerosis is a condition in which arteries get hardened due to atheromatous plaque, and Atherosclerosis is a condition of hardening of arteries.
- Arteriosclerosis can occur due to aging but not Atherosclerosis.
- Plaque buildup can lead to Atherosclerosis but not Arteriosclerosis.
- Atherosclerosis can occur due to high cholesterol levels, but Arteriosclerosis cannot occur due to high cholesterol levels.
- Arteriosclerosis happens due to genes, but genes are not a factor in atherosclerosis.
- Heart problems can occur due to Atherosclerosis but not Arteriosclerosis.
- https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/19451401587
- https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1161/hc0902.104353
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
