The illustration shows the formation of an arteriosclerosis, which is the most common cause of death in the western world with its feared secondary diseases despite an increase of malign tumors. The most important risk factors for the development of an arteriosclerosis are hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, smoking, diabetes mellitus as well as obesity.
Atherosclerotic plaques (see yellow fatty deposits) form on vascular walls first, they conflate and narrow the vascular lumen step by step. High-grade constriction or obstruction result in impaired function or an infarct.
