A couple posts ago we spoke about atherosclerosis, or plaque buildup in arterial walls. We often picture these plaques in the heart's coronary arteries or the carotid arteries to the brain, which can lead to heart attacks or strokes. But atherosclerosis can occur in peripheral vessels as well! Above we see a diagram of peripheral artery disease, in which atherosclerosis in arterial walls leads to ischemia (or lack of enough blood flow) to the limbs 😳 . The 4 main modifiable risk factors of atherosclerosis (...i.e. the factors we can control!): 1️⃣ High blood pressure 2️⃣ Poor cholesterol profile 3️⃣ Smoking 4️⃣ (In diabetics) poor blood sugar control . It's no question that with diet 🍐 and exercise 🏋 we can lower both cholesterol and blood pressure, keeping the risk of strokes, heart attacks, and peripheral artery disease at bay 💪
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