Atherosclerosis

Symptoms of atherosclerosis

You may not have any symptoms of atherosclerosis, but symptoms can include:

chest pain
pain in your arms and legs, especially when exercising
feeling short of breath
feeling tired all the time
feeling weak
feeling confused

If you're aged 40 to 74 you can get a free NHS health check which can spot the early signs of heart disease and stroke, as well as kidney disease, dementia and type 2 diabetes.

When and where to get medical help

Some symptoms of atherosclerosis need urgent medical help.

Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if:

you have chest pain that comes and goes
you feel short of breath
you have pain in your arms and legs when walking or exercising
you have any other symptoms you're worried about

You can call 111 or from get help from 111 online.

Causes of atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis happens when fatty deposits build up in the arteries, which causes them to narrow.

Things that increase your chances of getting atherosclerosis include:

being over 50 years of age
smoking
having high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes or kidney disease
living with overweight or obesity
having close relatives who have cardiovascular disease
being of Black African, African Caribbean or South Asian origin

Things you can do to help with atherosclerosis

There are some things you can do to help stop atherosclerosis getting worse:

Do

eat healthily and eat less saturated fat and sugar
exercise regularly
maintain a healthy weight
attend your NHS health check when you're invited
take any medicines you've been prescribed for other health conditions
keep your blood sugar levels under control if you have diabetes

Don't

do not smoke
do not drink more than 14 units of alcohol per week

Treatments for atherosclerosis

There are currently no treatments to reverse atherosclerosis, but you may be offered medicines to lower your risk of having a heart attack or a stroke.

You may need medicines to:

lower your cholesterol (usually statins)
lower your blood pressure
lower your risk of blood clots
lower your blood sugar levels if you have diabetes

You may also need surgery to help improve blood flow through the affected arteries.

Complications of atherosclerosis

Without lifestyle changes and medical treatment, atherosclerosis may get worse over time.

It can cause:

Call 999 if you have:

signs of a heart attack - pain like a tight band or heavy weight in your chest
signs of a stroke - face dropping on 1 side, cannot hold both your arms up, difficulty speaking
difficulty breathing - gasping for breath, choking, not able to get any words out
sudden confusion - unable to think or speak clearly, suddenly do not know where you are

Do not drive yourself to A&E.

The person you speak to at 999 will give you advice about what to do.

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