BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuArterial insufficiencyArterial insufficiency is any condition that slows or stops the flow of blood through your arteries. Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to other places in your body. Causes One of the most common causes of arterial insufficiency is atherosclerosis or "hardening of the arteries." Fatty material (called plaque) builds up on the walls of your arteries. This causes them to become narrow and stiff. As a result, it is hard for blood to flow through your arteries.AtherosclerosisAtherosclerosis, sometimes called "hardening of the arteries," occurs when fat, cholesterol, and other substances build up in the walls of arteries. ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Previous imagePlay SlideshowStop SlideshowNext image / Blood flow may be suddenly stopped due to a blood clot. Clots can form on the plaque or less often travel from another place such as the heart or other artery (also called embolus).Blood clotArterial embolism refers to a clot (embolus) that has come from another part of the body and causes a sudden interruption of blood flow to an organ o...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Symptoms Symptoms depend on where your arteries become narrowed:If it affects your heart arteries, you may have chest pain (angina pectoris) or a heart attack. Chest painChest pain is discomfort or pain that you feel anywhere along the front of your body between your neck and upper abdomen.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Heart attackMost heart attacks are caused by a blood clot that blocks one of the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries bring blood and oxygen to the heart. ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article If it affects your brain arteries, you may have a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke. StrokeA stroke occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain stops. A stroke is sometimes called a "brain attack. " If blood flow is cut off for longer th...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article If it affects the arteries that bring blood to your legs, you may have frequent leg cramping when you walk called claudication. Leg cramping when you walkPeripheral artery disease (PAD) is a condition of the blood vessels that supply the legs and feet. It occurs due to narrowing of the arteries in the...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article If it affects the arteries in your belly area, you may have pain after you eat called abdominal angina (due to mesenteric ischemia).Pain after you eatMesenteric artery ischemia occurs when there is a narrowing or blockage of one or more of the three major arteries that supply the small and large in...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Open ReferencesReferencesGoodney PP. Clinical evaluation of the arterial system. In: Sidawy AN, Perler BA, eds. Rutherford's Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 19.Libby P. The vascular biology of atherosclerosis. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann, DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 24.AllVideoImagesTogArteries of the brain - illustration The internal carotid arteries and the vertebral arteries supply blood to the brain.Arteries of the brainillustrationDevelopmental process of atherosclerosis - illustration The development of arterial atherosclerosis may occur when deposits of cholesterol and plaque accumulate at a tear in the inner lining of an artery. As the deposits harden and occlude the arterial lumen, blood flow to distant tissues decreases and a clot may become lodged, completely blocking the artery.Developmental process of atherosclerosisillustrationArteries of the brain - illustration The internal carotid arteries and the vertebral arteries supply blood to the brain.Arteries of the brainillustrationDevelopmental process of atherosclerosis - illustration The development of arterial atherosclerosis may occur when deposits of cholesterol and plaque accumulate at a tear in the inner lining of an artery. As the deposits harden and occlude the arterial lumen, blood flow to distant tissues decreases and a clot may become lodged, completely blocking the artery.Developmental process of atherosclerosisillustrationSelf Care Ischemic ulcers - self-care Tests for Arterial insufficiency Doppler ultrasound exam of an arm or legRelated Information Stroke(Condition)Anterior(Special Topic)Atherosclerosis(Condition)Venous insufficiency(Condition)Stroke - InDepth(In-Depth) Review Date: 11/19/2023 Reviewed By: Jacob Berman, MD, MPH, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. 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Arterial insufficiencyArterial insufficiency is any condition that slows or stops the flow of blood through your arteries. Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to other places in your body. Causes One of the most common causes of arterial insufficiency is atherosclerosis or "hardening of the arteries." Fatty material (called plaque) builds up on the walls of your arteries. This causes them to become narrow and stiff. As a result, it is hard for blood to flow through your arteries.AtherosclerosisAtherosclerosis, sometimes called "hardening of the arteries," occurs when fat, cholesterol, and other substances build up in the walls of arteries. ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Previous imagePlay SlideshowStop SlideshowNext image / Blood flow may be suddenly stopped due to a blood clot. Clots can form on the plaque or less often travel from another place such as the heart or other artery (also called embolus).Blood clotArterial embolism refers to a clot (embolus) that has come from another part of the body and causes a sudden interruption of blood flow to an organ o...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Symptoms Symptoms depend on where your arteries become narrowed:If it affects your heart arteries, you may have chest pain (angina pectoris) or a heart attack. Chest painChest pain is discomfort or pain that you feel anywhere along the front of your body between your neck and upper abdomen.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Heart attackMost heart attacks are caused by a blood clot that blocks one of the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries bring blood and oxygen to the heart. ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article If it affects your brain arteries, you may have a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke. StrokeA stroke occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain stops. A stroke is sometimes called a "brain attack. " If blood flow is cut off for longer th...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article If it affects the arteries that bring blood to your legs, you may have frequent leg cramping when you walk called claudication. Leg cramping when you walkPeripheral artery disease (PAD) is a condition of the blood vessels that supply the legs and feet. It occurs due to narrowing of the arteries in the...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article If it affects the arteries in your belly area, you may have pain after you eat called abdominal angina (due to mesenteric ischemia).Pain after you eatMesenteric artery ischemia occurs when there is a narrowing or blockage of one or more of the three major arteries that supply the small and large in...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Open ReferencesReferencesGoodney PP. Clinical evaluation of the arterial system. In: Sidawy AN, Perler BA, eds. Rutherford's Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 19.Libby P. The vascular biology of atherosclerosis. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann, DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 24.