Understanding atherosclerosis through medical illustrations

Atherosclerosis is a medical condition of the circulatory system. It happens when plaque accumulate inside an artery. Plaque is a mass of fatty acids, cholesterol, calcium and other substances. Over time, these molecules can accumulate, decreasing the oxygen flow. But first of all, let’s review the circulatory system details:

The circulatory system, also known as the cardiovascular system, is a vast network of organs and blood vessels that acts both as a delivery and waste removal system for the body. Through the blood vessels nutrients, oxygen and hormones are delivered to every cell. Besides that, waste products such as carbon dioxide are removed.

Atherosclerosis has a slow-acting and is a silent disease. The plaque can accumulate in different arteries in any organ. As a result, it can trigger different diseases depending on the affected artery.

Many factors can contribute to the plaque accumulation, including an unhealthy diet and smoking. So it is important to keep a healthy lifestyle and do regular health exams.

To know more:

• Stroke symptoms and risk factors
• Cardiology: using medical illustrations to communicate with your patients

I created these infographics on Mind the Graph, an online infographic platform for scientists. You can give a try and start creating scientific presentations, posters and infographics as well. So if you are a doctor and want to communicate better with your patients, you can try mind the graph for free.

Originally published at Mind The Graph.