You probably have heard about atherosclerosis, but you do not know exactly of what is atherosclerosis. Just be sure, after you read this article you will have general idea about of what is atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis - a chronic vascular disease that is characterized by the formation in the vessel walls of atherosclerotic plaques (fat deposits and the growth of connective tissue), which constrict and deform the vessels, which in turn is responsible for violations of the circulation of blood and internal organ involvement. In the development of atherosclerosis involved a number of factors: metabolic disorders, chronic illness, age. In this article I describe the causes of atherosclerosis and the factors that accelerate the development of this disease.

Atherosclerosis is a degenerative disease of the arteries of the body. Atherosclerosis in the vessel walls (mainly large arteries) are deposited fat and connective tissue grows. Such foci permission of vessels are called atherosclerotic plaques. Atherosclerotic plaques cause narrowing of blood vessels and strain the site of blood vessel, which in turn leads to impaired blood circulation in the internal organs.

There are many different causes of atherosclerosis. These reasons are called risk factors of atherosclerosis, which means that their presence increases the risk of atherosclerosis.
All risk factors (causes) the development of atherosclerosis can be divided into two main groups: immutable and mutable.

Unchangeable causes of atherosclerosis - those reasons on which it is impossible to provide any medical action. These factors include:

Sex is considered to be an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis. Men atherosclerosis develops 10 years earlier than women and up to 50 years the risk of atherosclerosis is 4 times higher in men than in women. After 50 years the incidence of atherosclerosis among both men and women leveled. This is due to the onset of hormonal changes in women and the disappearance of the protective role of female sex hormones estrogen (decreased release of estrogen during menopause).

Genetic predisposition is another modifiable risk factor for atherosclerosis. Increased risk of atherosclerosis observed in people whose relatives also suffer from various forms of atherosclerosis. It is believed that the genetic (hereditary) predisposition is the reason for the relatively early onset of atherosclerosis (previously 50 years). At the same time in people older than 50 years, genetic factors play a minor role in the development of atherosclerosis.