Atherosclerosis is a type of arteriosclerosis. It is a general term for the hardening and thickening of the arteries. Some hardening occurs normally when people grow older. Plaque may partly or totally block the blood flow through the arteries. There are two things that can happen where plaque is, bleeding into the plaque, and formation of a blood clot on the plaque's surface. If either of these occurs and blocks the entire artery, a heart …showed first 75 words of 323 total…

…showed last 75 words of 323 total…When the oxygen supply to the brain is cut off, a stroke can follow. And if oxygen to the extremities is cut off gangrene can result. Then there is always the possibility of a blood clot forming. This always makes it possible that it may break lose and travel to the heart or the brain and be fatal. This disease can be treated. There are many different treatments that have proven affective in this disease.