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Health Threats in Your Arteries and Veins
Many diseases of the arteries and veins cause no symptoms until a potentially deadly problem like a heart attack or stroke develops. Arteries pump oxygen-rich blood from your heart to the rest of your body, and veins return the blood to your lungs to receive oxygen. Both types of vessels are vital to the circulation of blood throughout your body.
Understanding the health threats that can affect your arteries and veins, including blood clots, high cholesterol, and plaque buildup, will help you protect your health. Read on to learn about risks and preventive tips for each of these conditions.
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Artery Threat: Coronary Artery Disease
Coronary artery disease (CAD), also known as coronary heart disease, is the most common type of heart disease, and it kills about 370,000 people in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CAD happens when atherosclerosis causes plaque to build up in the arteries that supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart. When blood flow to the heart is reduced or blocked by CAD, a person may experience chest pain (angina), heart attack, heart failure, or an irregular heartbeat known as arrhythmia.
You're more at risk for CAD if you have high blood pressure, high LDL (bad) cholesterol, low HDL (good) cholesterol, or diabetes, notes the American Heart Association. You can reduce your risk for coronary artery disease by choosing a heart-healthy diet (low in saturated fat and sodium) and exercising regularly. In addition, lower your risk by keeping up with any medications your doctor may have prescribed to keep your blood pressure down and control high cholesterol.
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Vein Threat: Deep Vein Thrombosis
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a common condition that occurs when a blood clot forms in a deep vein, usually in the legs, says Neil Zakai, MD, associate professor of medicine in the hematology and oncology division at the University of Vermont in Colchester. Up to 900,000 venous thromboembolism (blood clot) cases occur each year in the United States, according to the CDC, and up to 100,000 of them are fatal.
Hospitalization, surgery, prolonged immobility, cancer, and estrogen-based medications like the pill can put you at risk for blood clots. Knowing your family history of DVT, or any blood clotting disorders, can help you and your doctor prevent a life-threatening blood clot. Movement is vital to reduce your DVT risk. For example, get up and move as directed by your doctor after surgery, and avoid sitting for long periods of time.
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Vein Threat: Pulmonary Embolism
Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a serious and sometimes deadly complication of DVT that happens when a blood clot breaks off and travels through the bloodstream to the lungs. If the clot blocks blood flow to a lung artery, your lungs and possibly other organs can be damaged because of low oxygen levels in your blood. For one in four people with PE, sudden death is the first symptom, notes the CDC. Early warning signs can include chest pain and coughing up blood.
Surgery, heart disease, or cancer put you at higher risk for this blood clot condition, as does being immobile for long periods of time, according to the Mayo Clinic. To prevent pulmonary embolism, address blood clot risk factors you can control like smoking, use of estrogen hormone therapy, lack of physical activity, and obesity.
Artery Threat: Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis, also called hardening of the arteries, is a common condition that affects the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the body. The disease arises when plaque (cholesterol, fat, and calcium) accumulates inside the arteries, restricting blood flow. Eventually the arteries can become blocked and cause serious problems like a heart attack or stroke. High cholesterol, especially high LDL cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol blood levels, is a major risk for atherosclerosis, notes the NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Keep heart disease risk factors in check by eating a healthy diet rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables; exercising regularly; maintaining a healthy weight; not smoking; and reducing stress. And take your high-cholesterol and blood-pressure medications as prescribed to prevent heart attack and stroke from atherosclerosis.
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Artery Threat: Stroke
Stroke is one of the most deadly types of vascular disease, and it's the fifth leading cause of death in the United States, according to the National Stroke Association. A stroke occurs when a clogged or ruptured artery blocks blood flow to the brain, causing brain cells to die.
Controlling your stroke risk factors like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes will reduce your likelihood of a stroke. Healthy lifestyle habits — such as eating a healthy diet, limiting salt, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, and limiting alcohol — also help prevent stroke.
Vein Threat: Varicose Veins
“Varicose veins run the gamut from a cosmetic condition to a serious medical problem,” Dr. Zakai says. The swollen, purple veins often appear in women’s legs after pregnancy, as well as in men and women over age 40. Surveys estimate that about 20 to 25 million people in the United States have the condition, according to Vascular Cures, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization. Varicose veins occur when blood pools in the veins because of a problem with the one-way valve that normally keeps blood flowing back to the heart.
If varicose veins cause pain, swelling, burning, or itching, the medical problem needs attention. Staying physically active, as well as keeping your blood pressure and weight down, can help lower your risk of varicose veins. Calf-strengthening exercises can help and even prevent varicose veins.
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Vein Threat: Chronic Venous Insufficiency
Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a common condition that affects up to 20 percent of adults, acccording to Vascular Cures. This condition is often associated with varicose veins and with deep vein thrombosis. In people with CVI, the veins are blocked or aren’t working properly because of damage to the vein walls. The damage causes the veins to pool with blood, especially when you're standing.
Avoiding standing for long periods of time and wearing compression stockings can help reduce blood pooling and risks of CVI.
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Artery Threat: Carotid Artery Disease
Carotid artery disease affects the two large arteries in the neck that supply blood to your brain. This condition increases the risk for stroke, and it causes more than half of U.S. stroke cases, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Carotid artery disease, which is often linked to atherosclerosis, arises when the arteries become narrowed by the buildup of plaque.
You are more at risk for carotid artery disease if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, unhealthy blood cholesterol levels (high cholesterol), or a family history of atherosclerosis. People with carotid artery disease take medications prescribed for these conditions and follow a healthy lifestyle to prevent blood clots and reduce their risk of stroke.
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Artery Threat: Peripheral Artery Disease
Peripheral arterial disease (also called PAD) is often associated with atherosclerosis and becomes much more likely as we age. It affects about 8.5 million people in the United States, according to the CDC. In peripheral arterial disease, the arteries farther from the heart, usually in the pelvis and legs, become narrowed because of plaque buildup. Decreased blood flow to the muscles may cause pain and fatigue in the legs, often with exercise or when climbing stairs, Zakai says. Your doctor can detect PAD using imaging tests and by comparing blood pressure levels in your arms and legs.
High blood pressure, high cholesterol, atherosclerosis, and diabetes put you at risk for PAD, as does smoking. It's good to know that exercise, keeping your blood pressure and cholesterol under control, not smoking, eating a healthy diet, and maintaining a healthy weight can reduce your risk for PAD.
- Last Updated: 09/02/16
- Last Updated: 09/02/16