Atherosclerosis

Arteriosclerosis is considered the starting point of many cardiovascular diseases, including heart attack and stroke. These conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels are, taken together, the leading cause of death worldwide.

Early diagnosis of existing arteriosclerosis is therefore essential for your long-term health. While this chronic degenerative condition cannot yet be cured at its root cause, there are a wide variety of therapeutic options available to alleviate symptoms.

Our doctors at avi are here to support you with all medical measures in the fight against arteriosclerosis at all our locations — always starting with what matters most: targeted prevention, which includes the early identification of your individual risk factors.

Arteriosclerosis is present when a reduced pumping capacity of the arteries is diagnosed as a result of damaged arterial walls.

The development of arteriosclerosis has not yet been conclusively explained. However, the following factors are demonstrably involved:

• Chronic stress on the arterial walls caused by conditions such as high blood pressure, lipid metabolism disorders, rheumatic disease, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases

• Long-term regular consumption of toxic substances such as nicotine and alcohol

• Obesity

• Genetic predisposition

• Stress and sleep disorders

• Renal insufficiency

Each of these factors leads over time to damage of the arterial walls, accompanied by plaque deposits. These deposits ultimately trigger an inflammatory response in the body. As a result, the body's own immune cells attack and "engulf" the deposits, forming so-called foam cells — which in turn also damage the arterial walls. The result is a degenerative vicious cycle that requires medical treatment. This is where our doctors at avi are happy to support you.

Arteriosclerosis itself is asymptomatic. The condition is recognised only through the secondary diseases it causes, which can affect the entire body. These include:

• coronary heart diseases such as narrowing of the coronary arteries, up to and including heart attack

• peripheral arterial occlusive disease, such as intermittent claudication (occlusion of the leg arteries)

• conditions arising from narrowing of the arteries supplying the brain, such as dementia or stroke

• intestinal and renal infarction

Our experienced doctors at avi accompany you at every step of your arteriosclerosis treatment. This consists of three components in total:

• Diagnosis of individual risk factors, including check-up examinations (medical history, laboratory tests, sonography)

• Targeted reduction of risk factors (e.g. through lifestyle changes or medications such as lipid-lowering and antihypertensive agents) in conjunction with regular monitoring

• Follow-up care for existing symptoms (e.g. through medications such as antiplatelet agents, which reduce the risk of renewed arterial occlusion)