Coronary heart disease is a major cause of death in the UK and much of the rest of the world. Risk factors associated with CHD are diet, blood cholesterol, cigarette smoking and high blood pressure.

Atheroma

This is the build up of fatty material in the walls of arteries. It is often the underlying cause that leads to heart disease.

As you can see, it leads to the narrowing of arteries, causing a lowering of blood supply. Atheroma is associated with an increased risk of aneurysm and thrombosis. Aneurysm is a ballooning of the artery which weakens the affected area. This requires urgent treatment, otherwise it is fatal if the balloon “pops”. Thrombosis is a blood clot stuck in a vessel which results in less blood supply to a specific area, and the subsequent affected tissues may be starved of blood and and die…..