This site uses cookies to improve your experience. To help us insure we adhere to various privacy regulations, please select your country/region of residence. If you do not select a country, we will assume you are from the United States. Select your Cookie Settings or view our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Used for the proper function of the website
Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Strictly Necessary: Used for the proper function of the website
Performance/Analytics: Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Inflammation and Plaque Buildup: Smoking damages the endothelium (the inner lining of blood vessels), triggering inflammation. This damage accelerates the formation of plaques, leading to atherosclerosisa condition where arteries narrow and harden, restricting blood flow.
Understanding Peripheral Artery Disease Peripheral artery disease or PAD is a condition in which plaque builds up in the arteries that lead to the legs and feet. Below, we examine several prevention strategies: Regular Exercise Engaging in regular physical activity is crucial for maintaining optimal cardiovascular health.
Heart Valve Disease If one or more heart valves are not functioning correctly, it can cause blood to flow backward, putting extra pressure on the heart, which may cause it to expand to compensate for the inefficiency. Beta-blockers , which slow the heart rate and reduce blood pressure. Anticoagulants to prevent bloodclots.
A heart attack, or myocardial infarction, happens when an artery becomes blocked, reducing blood flow to the heart muscle. This blockage is often caused by a bloodclot or the buildup of plaque in the coronary arteries, which supply the heart with oxygen-rich blood.
PAD is a serious, progressive cardiovascular disease primarily caused by a buildup of fatty plaque in the blood vessels, or atherosclerosis. This plaque narrows the blood vessels and reduces blood flow to the legs and feet, which may significantly impair physical function, walking performance and quality of life.
The problem with both these tests are that they study the heart at rest and sometimes abnormalities may be picked up only when the heart is stressed and therefore combining these modalities with a stress test can be even more helpful and by far the best form of stress is exercise. The plaques can damage us in 2 ways.
We organize all of the trending information in your field so you don't have to. Join thousands of users and stay up to date on the latest articles your peers are reading.
You know about us, now we want to get to know you!
Let's personalize your content
Let's get even more personalized
We recognize your account from another site in our network, please click 'Send Email' below to continue with verifying your account and setting a password.
Let's personalize your content