The link between high cholesterol and the complications of atherosclerosis is similar to the link between smoking and lung cancer. Although smoking does not guarantee that you will develop lung cancer, it dramatically increases your chances. The same is true of high cholesterol and atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis can develop in any of your arteries, including those that supply blood to your heart muscle, your brain, and your arms and legs. Each of the potential complications of atherosclerosis is associated with arteries in a different part of your body. The following table summarizes the effects that three important complications of atherosclerosis can have on your health.
Complication |
Artery affected |
How it can affect your health |
|---|---|---|
| Coronary artery disease (CAD) | Coronary arteries, which supply the heart |
|
| Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) | Large arteries that supply the arms and legs |
|
Cerebrovascular disease |
Carotid and cerebral arteries, which supply the brain |
|
Credits
| Author | Robin Parks, MS |
| Editor | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman, MATC |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Robert A. Kloner, MD, PhD - Cardiology |
| Last Updated | July 11, 2008 |
