Definitions
Commonly known as hardening of the arteries, atherosclerosis is the name of the process in which deposits of fatty substances, cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium and other substances build up in the inner lining of an artery. This build-up is called plaque. Plaques can grow large enough to significantly reduce the blood's flow through an artery. But most of the damage occurs when they become fragile and rupture. Plaques that rupture cause blood clots to form that can block blood flow or break off and travel to another part of the body. If either happens and blocks a blood vessel that feeds the heart, it causes a heart attack. If it blocks a blood vessel that feeds the brain, it causes a stroke. For more information regarding atherosclerosis, click here.
Aneurysm is a bulge, localized dilation, or ballooning in a blood vessel, much like a bulge on an over-inflated innertube or a blister. Aneurysms are dangerous because they may burst. The larger an aneurysm becomes, the more likely it's going to burst. Aneurysms most commonly occur in the aorta (known as an aortic aneurysm) and in the arteries at the base of the brain (known as a cerebral or brain aneurysm). See diagrams of the aorta with and without an aneurysm.
The aorta is the main artery in the body. Blood is pumped by the heart directly into the aorta which then routes the blood to the body. As part of a HealthScreen session, we take pictures of the portion of the aorta in the abdomen (belly region) which is the area where aneurysms most commonly form. See diagrams of the aorta with and without an aneurysm.
Blood is composed of plasma (a fluid consisting largely of water) and many types of blood cells (some of which act to carry substances in the body, others fight diseases, while others work to form clots which are meant to stop blood from escaping from blood vessels). The main function of blood is to supply nutrients (oxygen, sugar) to the body and to remove waste products (such as carbon dioxide and lactic acid) from the body.
Blood vessels are tubes (picture a garden hose) through which blood, a liquid, flows. The blood vessels function to transport blood throughout the body. The two most important types of blood vessels are:
Arteries are the blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart to the body to supply oxygen and other nutrients to the body's tissues.
Veins are the blood vessels that carry blood back towards the heart from the body, bringing back waste products and to be re-supplied with oxygen and other nutrients.
A sound made by irregular or turbulent blood flow in a blood vessel. Most commonly a bruit is caused by the blood having to go around a plaque (and subsequent narrowing) in the blood vessel. This causes the blood to flow noisily similar to water in a river having to flow around rocks, creating an area of rapids. The noise of the rapids in a river is analogous to a bruit.
A term referring to the diseases of the heart and vascular (blood vessel) systems.
The arteries in the neck that carry blood to the brain and the rest of the head.
Hypertension
Hypertension, otherwise known as high blood pressure, exists when there is excessive force (pressure) on the blood in a person's blood vessels and organs. Over time, this excess force causes undesirable changes and stress on the blood vessels, heart, and other organs of the body. If left untreated, hypertension is proven to lead to a myriad of diseases and damage to the body. (For additional information about high blood pressure and its' control, click here.)
Plaque is a build-up of deposits of fatty substances, cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium and other substances in the inner lining of an artery. Plaque is a result of the disease process known as atherosclerosis.
Subclinical refers to a disease in its early stages before any signs or symptoms appear or are detectable by a doctor's examination or by a laboratory test. Screening tests are designed to identify subclinical cardiovascular disease so that it can be treated in its earlier stages, before devastating effects of the disease (such as stroke) are more likely.
Also known as a brain attack (similar to heart attack), a stroke occurs when blood flow to a portion of the brain is obstructed or cut-off. A stroke can and often does result in death of brain tissue. There are two types of strokes:
Ischemic Stroke: Caused by a blockage of an artery supplying blood flow to the brain resulting in decreased blood flow (known as ischemia).
Hemorrhagic Stroke: Caused by bleeding (hemorrhage) of a ruptured blood vessel(s) in the brain.
For more information regarding stroke, click here.
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
A TIA is often referred to as a "warning-stroke" or "mini-stroke". Essentially a TIA is a small stroke without lasting damage. What causes a TIA is usually a small clot or a piece of plaque floating downstream in a blood vessel and temporarily cutting off blood supply to part of the brain. Unlike a stroke, the symptoms of a TIA last a short amount of time (typically less than five minutes) and there is no injury to the brain. Of all people who ever experience a TIA, over one-third have a stoke later in life. Having a TIA doesn't predict when or if a person will have a stroke but a person who has had a TIA is more likely to have a stroke than another person of the same age and sex. For more information regarding TIA, click here.
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