Macrovascular disease
From ArticleWorld
The term macrovascular disease is actually a cluster of diseases that have commonality in that they involve the large vessels of the body. An individual with macrovascular disease can have only one area of the body involved or several areas of the body affected by the condition. Having macrovascular disease in one area of the body increases the likelihood that the disease exists in other body areas as well. In general, the incidence of macrovascular disease increases with age.
Contents |
Anatomy
While macrovascular disease can affect any large artery in the body, it can be defined as having three distinct subsets:
Coronary artery disease
Coronary artery disease involves the blood vessels that supply the heart. Due to various causes, one or more of these arteries can begin to narrow due to the collection and build-up of debris such as fatty molecules, cholesterol and calcium in spots along the wall of the artery.
If the narrowing becomes significant, an individual can experience angina, a pain in the chest that occurs during a temporary lack of oxygen to the heart. Under certain conditions, some of which are not yet understood, the narrowed area of the artery can develop a blood clot, resulting in a heart attack or an “acute myocardial infarction”. In this case, there can be permanent damage and secondary weakness to the heart as a result of the heart muscle lacking in oxygen for too long.
Peripheral vascular disease,
Peripheral vascular disease involves the main arteries, such as the femoral artery, to the extremities. Usually, the legs are involved in this condition. By means of the same process that causes narrowing of the arteries of the heart, the arteries that supply the legs become constricted. An individual usually experiences pain in their calf when walking for a long distance—a pain that goes away when they rest. This is known as “intermittent claudication”.
Gradually, the distance the person can travel decreases as the constriction increases. In some cases, a blood clot can form at an area of narrowing of an artery, resulting in a cold, blue leg that can usually only be saved by removing the clot and using blood thinners.
Cerebrovascular disease
Someone with cerebrovascular disease shows a narrowing of the blood vessels leading to the brain. They can have temporary stroke-like symptoms called TIAs, or “transient ischemic attacks” and, in some cases, an actual stroke can result from blockage of these blood vessels. A person develops cerebrovascular disease for the same reasons and by the same mechanism as the other two types of this disease.
Risks
There are several risk factors for macrovascular disease, including genetic predisposition, diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking, inactive lifestyle and high cholesterol. Treatment strategies are primarily directed at reducing or improving the underlying causes and risks for this blood vessel disease.