Arterial insufficiency
Arterial 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.
Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis, sometimes called "hardening of the arteries," occurs when fat, cholesterol, and other substances build up in the walls of arteries. ...
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 clot
Arterial 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...
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 pain
Chest 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 ArticleHeart attack
Most 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.
Stroke
A 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 walk
Peripheral 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 eat
Mesenteric 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...
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References
Goodney 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.
Arteries of the brain - illustration
The internal carotid arteries and the vertebral arteries supply blood to the brain.
Arteries of the brain
illustration
Developmental 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 atherosclerosis
illustration
Arteries of the brain - illustration
The internal carotid arteries and the vertebral arteries supply blood to the brain.
Arteries of the brain
illustration
Developmental 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 atherosclerosis
illustration
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.
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