Plaque consists of fatty deposits that accumulate on the walls of your arteries.

This results in a condition known asatherosclerosisand can lead to a number of other serious cardiovascular conditions.

This eventually leads toatherosclerosis.

Person holding a cigarette, a cause of plaque in Arteries

Luis Diaz Devesa / Getty Images

Cholesterolis found in every cell in the body.

LDL, or the bad cholesterol, is responsible for creating the buildup of plaque in the arteries.

Plaque formation due to cholesterol can be because of various factors, including the following.

To help lower cholesterol, experts recommend making several lifestyle changes.

The following risk factors should be carefully monitored.

Most people wont know their arteries are hardened or blocked until they have a heart attack or stroke.

For example, a person with narrowed or blocked coronary arteries may have ischemic heart disease and experienceangina.

Other symptoms can be shortness of breath andarrhythmia(irregular heartbeat rhythm).

People with blocked carotid arteries may experience symptoms that indicate a stroke.

If you experience any of the above, call your healthcare provider or 911 immediately for emergency medical assistance.

Even with the lifestyle changes noted above, plaque wont entirely disappear.

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