Atherosclerosis is the result of smoking, too much fat in the diet (including cholesterol, see box" Ideal cholesterol levels "), and lack of proper exercise, coupled with excessive mental and emotional stress and strain. This causes a gradual buildup of fatty deposits - or atheroma - on the walls of the arteries, which gradually hardens or calcifies with linte and prevents the arteries from expanding and contracting as they should. Hardening of the arteries is called arteriosclerosis.

Arteries that become "furred up" and hardened rcstrict the vital flow of blood to other parts of the body, so the organs and tissues there become affected and stop working as well. Eventually, if no action is taken, the arteries become blocked, cutting off the blood snpply completely. When this happens to the arteries around the heart the result is a heart attack. In the brain it is a cause of a stroke.

Common signs and symptoms of atherosclerosis are chest pain (angina), leg cramps (intermittent claudication), poor circulation (peripheral ischemia), leg ulcers, dizziness, weakness, breathlessness, mental feebleness (poor memory, mental confusion), weak pulse (or "wide" pulse pressure), increasing clumsiness, lack of coordination, dexterity, or agility.

Treatment

Alternative therapies combining a range of physical and psychological approaches have been shown by Dr. Dean Omish in the United States to halt and even reverse atherosclerosis. Particularly successful seem to be those involving a healthy diet with food supplements, exercise, yoga, massage, and relaxation therapy, counseling and other "talking therapies" linked to close social support. In other words, most of the ways of preventing heart disease are also effective for treating it. Other therapies can also help.

Diet and Nutrition All dietary fiber is beneficial to the body, but particularly the water-soluble type that is found in oats and pulses, because it reduces excess cholesterol. Ginger can be added to many dishes with the same effect.

Herbal Medicine Garlic, ginger, hot red, or chili, peppers, yarrow herb, and alfalfa have been shown to reduce the "stickiness" of blood and help prevent clotting. They may also help dissolve atheroma already in arteries, as may hawthorn berries.

Chelation Therapy This is a controversial therapy, popular mainly in the United States, that uses a synthetic amino acid ethylenediaminetetracetic acid (or EDTA) as part of a cocktail of anticoagulant drugs and nutrients to dissolve atheroma and flush it away through the kidneys. The treatment is by long-term injection and can only be carried out by a conventional medical doctor. There is some evidence of efficacy, but there are doubts about safety and the therapy is still under investigation.