Angioplasty is the procedure to help widen the blood vessel in the body. The narrowing of the blood vessels is caused due to the fast lifestyle of the 21st century. Today people are willing pushing themselves towards a blackhole of leading a unhealthy life. You will rarely come across a person with a balanced report card, let alone a balanced cholesterol. We all lead a lifestyle where we don’t mind skipping meals, or eating anything from the counter without checking its labels. This has resulted in increasing the obesity ratio amongst millennials. Plaque or narrowness in the arteries is caused due to fat and high cholesterol which are both high in most households. Thankfully, there is a simple procedure, Angioplasty, which can help open the blood vessels allowing them to retrieve back to their normal condition. 

Why does a patient requires Angioplasty

Arteries or veins are responsible for carrying blood throughout the body from your head to toe. Healthy arteries manage to function the blood flow at a set speed and amount. Any blockage or narrowness within the inner walls of these blood vessels can result in clogged arteries. And clogged arteries can cause plaque in the arteries inner walls. This tampers with the blood flow, resulting in blood flow reduction or in some cases blocking it altogether.  

What is Angioplasty?

Angioplasty is an endovascular procedure that involves widening of the obstructed or narrowed veins or arteries, typically used for treating arterial atherosclerosis. It is also known as PTA (Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty) and Balloon Angioplasty.

In this procedure a deflated balloon is attached to the catheter which is passed in the narrowed veins using a guide-wire, that is inflated into a fixed size when it reaches the concerning narrow vessel. Sometimes a stent (a plastic or a metal tube inserted in the lumen that ensure to keep the passageway open) is used while ballooning to help the vessel in remaining open. Once the arteries get back to their original size the balloon is deflated and withdrawn.

Causes of Arterial Plaque

Arterial Plaque is the condition in which the artery’s inner walls are blocked due the buildup of multiple substances and additional secretion from the blood.  

High Cholesterol

High Cholesterol (bad cholesterol or LDL “Low-Density Lipoprotein”) is one of the most common causes of arterial plaque in people today. Everybody has HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein) aka Good Cholesterol, circulating in their blood, which is also responsible for removing the bad cholesterol or the plaque from the clogged arteries. Then HDL transport it to the liver which then eliminates them. But the higher percentage of bad cholesterol in the body can disable the HDL from working properly hence preventing them from removing the LDL.

Cigarette Smoking

Cigarette smoke is known for increasing the percentage of atherosclerosis in the body. This has a major impact on the arteries present in the legs, heart, and aorta – largest artery in a human body.

High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure puts the pressure on the blood to stream faster in the arteries which in certain cases can lead to plaque build-up. It can also result in the hardening of the blocked arteries.

Diabetes

Any form of elevation in the circulating of the blood sugar can act as a major culprit. Diabetes patients or people with elevated sugar levels have a high risk of arbitrary plaque formation in their body.

Other Factors

Factors defining the lifestyle of an individual like eating habits, daily routine can also effect the blood to clog. Arterial plaque can also be caused due to stress, family history, and obesity.

Explore medmonks to take a closer look at the procedure of Angioplasty or research about any other medical condition.