Copied! Arteries carry oxygen-rich blood and nutrients from the heart throughout the body. Healthy arteries are smooth and blood passes through them easily. But a buildup of cholesterol, fat, and calcium, called plaque, in the inner walls of the arteries can slow down blood flow, sometimes blocking it altogether. Clogged
or blocked arteries, or atherosclerosis, can lead to hypertension (high blood pressure), stroke, or even death, so it is vital to understand the signs and symptoms of blocked arteries. Blocked arteries can become too narrow and hardened to function properly. While you may have no obvious signs early on, symptoms can develop as plaque builds up in the arteries. The hardening and narrowing of the arteries is called atherosclerosis. It may
result in chest discomfort, called angina, dizziness, or excessive sweating. This condition can lead to peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the legs and arms. Initially, PAD may cause pain and make walking difficult. When PAD affects the aorta (the body’s main blood vessel) or iliac arteries that carry blood to the legs and pelvic organs, it can cause aortoiliac occlusive disease. This disease develops over a lifetime with varying symptoms
that include: Some common risks factors for blocked arteries are: Having more than one of these risk factors increases your chances of developing blocked arteries. For example, if you don’t exercise, you may become overweight or obese, which increases your chances of developing diabetes and/or high blood pressure. Your risk also is higher if your father or brother was
diagnosed with heart disease before the age of 55, or your mother or sister received a diagnosis before age 65.Symptoms of Clogged or Blocked Arteries
Do I Have Blocked Arteries?
When to Talk to Your Doctor
If you are experiencing symptoms of a blocked artery or have a family history of this disease, you should speak with our heart and vascular specialists. For an appointment at the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute, complete an appointment-request form or call 1-855-UPMC-HVI (876-2484).
Test for blocked arteries
If you feel that you are experiencing clogged or blocked arteries, the doctor may suggest tests such as a cholesterol screening, chest x-rays, CT scans, or an ultrasound. We also can help you manage your stress, weight, diabetes, or high blood pressure, and quit smoking, which can help reduce your risk of blocked arteries.
How Long Can You Live with Blocked Arteries?
Many risk factors and bad habits can lead blocked arteries, and the effects of blocked arteries are usually only noticed once you have a problem. Therefore, it is difficult to say how long someone may live with blocked arteries. Complications from blocked arteries may be reduced by quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, monitoring blood pressure, eating healthier, and exercising regularly.
Treatment
If changes in habits and routines are not effective in stopping the complications of blocked arteries, your doctor may suggest medicine to help improve blood pressure or cholesterol levels. If symptoms are severe, causing angina or chest pain leading to a heart attack, your doctor might suggest a procedure to place stents in the arteries. In this procedure, the doctor places a wire mesh tube in the artery to increase circulation and prevent the artery from narrowing again.
If your symptoms of blocked arteries have led to heart disease, doctors may encourage a bypass surgery. This is a more intrusive surgery and creates new passageway for the aorta by using another healthy blood vessel from elsewhere in the body.
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on October 9, 2018, and was last reviewed on April 25, 2022.
Overview
Arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis are sometimes used to mean the same thing, but there's a difference between the two terms.
Arteriosclerosis occurs when the blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients from the heart to the rest of the body (arteries) become thick and stiff — sometimes restricting blood flow to the organs and tissues. Healthy arteries are flexible and elastic. But over time, the walls in the arteries can harden, a condition commonly called hardening of the arteries.
Atherosclerosis is a specific type of arteriosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis is the buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances in and on the artery walls. This buildup is called plaque. The plaque can cause arteries to narrow, blocking blood flow. The plaque can also burst, leading to a blood clot.
Although atherosclerosis is often considered a heart problem, it can affect arteries anywhere in the body. Atherosclerosis can be treated. Healthy lifestyle habits can help prevent atherosclerosis.
Symptoms
Mild atherosclerosis usually doesn't have any symptoms.
Atherosclerosis symptoms usually don't happen until an artery is so narrowed or clogged that it can't supply enough blood to organs and tissues. Sometimes a blood clot completely blocks blood flow. The clot may break apart and can trigger a heart attack or stroke.
Symptoms of moderate to severe atherosclerosis depend on which arteries are affected. For example:
- If you have atherosclerosis in your heart arteries, you may have chest pain or pressure (angina).
- If you have atherosclerosis in the arteries leading to your brain, you may have sudden numbness or weakness in your arms or legs, difficulty speaking or slurred speech, temporary loss of vision in one eye, or drooping muscles in your face. These signal a transient ischemic attack (TIA). Untreated, a TIA can lead to a stroke.
- If you have atherosclerosis in the arteries in your arms and legs, you may have symptoms of peripheral artery disease, such as leg pain when walking (claudication) or decreased blood pressure in an affected limb.
- If you have atherosclerosis in the arteries leading to your kidneys, you may develop high blood pressure or kidney failure.
When to see a doctor
If you think you have atherosclerosis, talk to your health care provider. Also pay attention to early symptoms caused by a lack of blood flow, such as chest pain (angina), leg pain or numbness.
Early diagnosis and treatment can stop atherosclerosis from worsening and prevent a heart attack, stroke or another medical emergency.
Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic
patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail.From Mayo Clinic to your inbox
Causes
Atherosclerosis is a slowly worsening disease that may begin as early as childhood. The exact cause is unknown. It may start with damage or injury to the inner layer of an artery. The damage may be caused by:
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- High triglycerides, a type of fat (lipid) in the blood
- Smoking or chewing tobacco
- Diabetes
- Insulin resistance
- Obesity
- Inflammation from an unknown cause or from diseases such as arthritis, lupus, psoriasis or inflammatory bowel disease
Once the inner wall of an artery is damaged, blood cells and other substances may gather at the injury site and build up in the inner lining of the artery.
Over time, fats, cholesterols and other substances also collect on the inner walls of the heart arteries. This buildup is called plaque. Plaque can cause the arteries to narrow, blocking blood flow. The plaque can also burst, leading to a blood clot.
Risk factors
Hardening of the arteries occurs over time. Aging is a risk factor for atherosclerosis. Other things that may increase the risk of atherosclerosis include:
- A family history of early heart disease
- An unhealthy diet
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- High levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation
- Lack of exercise
- Obesity
- Sleep apnea
- Smoking and other tobacco use
Complications
The complications of atherosclerosis depend on which arteries are narrowed or blocked. For example:
- Coronary artery disease. When atherosclerosis narrows the arteries close to your heart, you may develop coronary artery disease, which can cause chest pain (angina), a heart attack or heart failure.
- Carotid artery disease. When atherosclerosis narrows the arteries close to your brain, you may develop carotid artery disease. This can cause a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke.
- Peripheral artery disease. When atherosclerosis narrows the arteries in your arms or legs, you may develop blood flow problems in your arms and legs called peripheral artery disease. This can make you less sensitive to heat and cold, increasing your risk of burns or frostbite. Rarely, a lack of blood flow to the arms or legs can cause tissue death (gangrene).
- Aneurysms. Atherosclerosis can also cause aneurysms, a serious complication that can occur anywhere in the body. Most people with aneurysms have no symptoms. Pain and throbbing in the area of an aneurysm may occur and is a medical emergency. If an aneurysm bursts, it can cause life-threatening bleeding inside the body.
- Chronic kidney disease. Atherosclerosis can cause the arteries leading to the kidneys to narrow. Narrowing of these arteries prevents enough oxygen-rich blood from reaching the kidneys. The kidneys need enough blood flow to help filter waste products and remove excess fluids.
Prevention
The same healthy lifestyle changes recommended to treat atherosclerosis also help prevent it. These lifestyle changes can help keep the arteries healthy:
- Quitting smoking
- Eating healthy foods
- Exercising regularly
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Checking and maintaining a healthy blood pressure
- Checking and maintaining healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels