Arthrosclerosis

Your healthcare provider may order additional tests to diagnose atherosclerosis and plan the best treatment for you. These tests include:

Angiography. This test uses special X-rays to locate and measure blockages. Your healthcare provider will inject a contrast dye into your arteries to help the blockages show up on the X-rays. Your healthcare provider will insert a catheter (thin tube) into one of your arteries, usually in your groin or arm.

Ankle/brachial index. This test compares the blood pressure in your ankle to the pressure in your arm to measure blood flow in your limbs.

Chest X-ray. A chest X-ray takes pictures inside of your chest.

CT scan. This scan takes pictures inside of your body and can show any hardening and narrowing of your large arteries.

Echocardiogram (echo). An echo takes pictures of your heart’s valves and chambers and measures how well your heart is pumping.

Electrocardiogram (EKG). An EKG measures your heart’s electrical activity, rate and rhythm.

Exercise stress test. This test measures your heart function while you’re physically active.

Carotid ultrasound. This test takes ultrasound pictures of the arteries in your neck (carotid arteries). It can detect hardening or narrowing of these arteries as blood flows to your brain.

Abdominal ultrasound. This ultrasound takes pictures of your abdominal aorta. It checks for ballooning (abdominal aortic aneurysm) or plaque buildup in your aorta.

Medications can help prevent atherosclerosis from worsening.

Medications for treating atherosclerosis include:

cholesterol-lowering drugs, including statins

angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, which may lower blood pressure

beta-blockers, which “rest” the heart

antiplatelet drugs such as aspirin to prevent blood from clotting and clogging your arteries

Aspirin can be particularly effective for people with a history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke. An aspirin regimen discussed with your doctor may potentially lower your risk of having another health event if you already have atherosclerosis.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently released updated guidelines on using aspirin for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. These guidelines may be relevant in discussions with your doctor.

If you have no history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, only use aspirin as a preventive medication if your risk of bleeding is low and your risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is high. Always discuss an aspirin regimen with your doctor first.

Surgery

If symptoms are especially severe or if muscle or skin tissue are endangered, surgery may be necessary.

Possible surgeries for treating atherosclerosis include:

bypass surgery, which involves using a vessel from somewhere else in your body or a synthetic tube to divert blood around your blocked or narrowed artery

thrombolytic therapy, which involves dissolving a blood clot by injecting a drug into your affected artery

angioplasty and percutaneous coronary intervention, which involves using a catheter and a balloon to expand your artery, sometimes inserting a stent to keep the artery open

atherectomy, which involves removing plaque from your arteries by using a catheter with a sharp blade at one end

endarterectomy, which involves surgically removing fatty deposits from your artery