The illustration shows the development of arteriosclerosis, which, with its dreaded secondary diseases, is still the most common cause of death in the western world, despite the increase of malignant tumor diseases. The most important risk factors for the development of arteriosclerosis are hypercholesterinaemia, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes mellitus and overweight. First, atherosclerotic plaques (yellow fat incorporations) formate on the vascular walls, then flow together and cause a stepwise decrease of the vascular lumen. When the vessel is extremely narrowed or closed, it usually results in a functional impairment or an infarct.
