Why artery blockage

If any issues are detected during these tests, treatment may help to improve the blood flow through your clogged arteries and reduce the risks. Please click here to view Cardiac Screen's preparations for containing Corona Virus. Latest Blog. Why Do Arteries Get Clogged? Tests for Clogged Arteries Cardiac screening can reveal whether you are at risk of clogged arteries by testing for issues such as high cholesterol that can increase the chances of fatty deposits accumulating in your blood vessels.

A percutaneous intervention balloon angioplasty or a peripheral stent may be needed for a severely blocked artery that is causing pain or other symptoms. Your doctor may also recommend a procedure called a peripheral vascular bypass. This procedure creates a way for blood to flow around one or more of the narrowed vessels. After making an incision in your arm or leg or below your stomach, the surgeon will take an artificial vessel or one of your own veins called a graft and connect it to the blocked vessel at points above and below the blockage.

Visit U. If you have risk factors for coronary artery disease — such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, tobacco use, diabetes, obesity a strong family history of heart disease — talk to your doctor. Your doctor may want to test you for coronary artery disease, especially if you have signs or symptoms of narrowed arteries.

If you have too many cholesterol particles in your blood, cholesterol may accumulate on your artery walls. Eventually, deposits called plaques may form. The deposits may narrow — or block — your arteries. These plaques can also burst, causing a blood clot to form.

Coronary artery disease is thought to begin with damage or injury to the inner layer of a coronary artery, sometimes as early as childhood. The damage may be caused by various factors, including:. Once the inner wall of an artery is damaged, fatty deposits plaque made of cholesterol and other cellular waste products tend to collect at the site of injury.

This process is called atherosclerosis. If the plaque surface breaks or ruptures, blood cells called platelets clump together at the site to try to repair the artery. This clump can block the artery, leading to a heart attack. Risk factors often occur together and one may trigger another. For instance, obesity can lead to type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. When grouped together, certain risk factors make you even more likely to develop coronary artery disease.

For example, metabolic syndrome — a cluster of conditions that includes high blood pressure; high triglycerides; low HDL , or "good," cholesterol; high insulin levels and excess body fat around the waist — increases the risk of coronary artery disease.

Sometimes coronary artery disease develops without any classic risk factors. Researchers are studying other possible risk factors, including:. The same lifestyle habits used to help treat coronary artery disease can also help prevent it.

A healthy lifestyle can help keep your arteries strong and clear of plaque. To improve your heart health, follow these tips:. Coronary artery disease care at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version.

List of Partners vendors. Arteries are vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart to every other part of your body. In the best-case scenario. For many people, this ideal does not last long. Blockages in the arteries of the heart get the most attention since they can cause heart attacks.

However, arterial blockages can strike anywhere. The symptoms of clogged arteries depend on where the blockage occurs and which body part is affected. Clogged arteries are caused by atherosclerosis, which develops over time as plaques formed from fats, minerals, cholesterol , and more build up inside the walls of your arteries. These buildups cause the inner tunnels, called lumens, of the arteries to become smaller and narrower. As a result, the heart has to use more pressure to pump blood through smaller vessels.

This increases blood pressure and puts strain on the pumping ability of the heart. You may also notice that different parts of your body begin to suffer from a reduced supply of oxygenated blood, especially if the artery becomes completely clogged.

Your symptoms depend on where the blockage occurs and what part of your body receives a reduced blood supply. Symptoms of blocked or clogged arteries can include:.

In some cases, a clogged artery can cause serious symptoms and require emergency care. This primarily applies when the clogged artery is one that is supplying blood to a vital organ like the brain or heart. Symptoms that can signal a medical emergency include:.

Call or seek emergency medical care immediately if you or someone you are with has any of these symptoms. Clogged arteries are caused by a buildup of plaque in your arteries. Plaque is usually made up of a few substances, including minerals like calcium, or fats and cholesterol.

High cholesterol levels can lead to this buildup of plaques. In some cases, high cholesterol is genetic, but it is mostly linked to diet and lifestyle choices. A diet that is high in fats and cholesterol is just one of the things that can contribute to a buildup of plaques and clogged arteries.

Other risk factors for clogged arteries can include:. Diagnosing arterial problems may begin with your primary care doctor, but if a blockage is suspected, you will most likely be referred to a cardiologist or vascular specialist. Who you see depends a lot on where the blockage is and what problems it is causing. For example, if you have a blockage in an artery that feeds your brain, you may also need to see a neurologist.

Your diagnosis will begin with a physical exam, as well as a review of your personal and family medical history. Additional testing may be done to pinpoint the location and degree of the blockage.

Testing can include:. These tests can be used to measure the amount of fats and cholesterol in your blood, how much resistance your heart faces when pumping blood blood pressure , how well oxygen-rich blood is reaching certain parts of the body, and the degree of damage to areas of the body where there is a clogged artery. Treating clogged arteries should be done with a holistic approach.