Medical Terminology Made Simple: Arteriosclerosis

Medical Terminology Made Simple: Arteriosclerosis

As a service to people who are thinking of entering the medical and medical support professions, StraighterLine is launching a series of short posts on medical terminology. Each post will define one medical term.

Today’s Medical term is . . . arteriosclerosis

Arteriosclerosis is commonly called hardening of the arteries. It’s the abnormal thickening and loss of elasticity of artery walls, and it most commonly hits older people, and it is no doggone fun.

There are several kinds of arteriosclerosis. In atherosclerosis, arteries hardens due to an accumulation of cholesterol-laden plaque. To avoid getting it, people spend years avoiding eggs, thick juicy steaks, creamy whole milk and all the foods that they really prefer. Arteriosclerosis obliterans is another kind that usually affects arteries in the legs. And then there’s Monckeberg’s calcific sclerosis, which is a pretty rare cat – it usually hardens the vessels in older people’s thyroids and uteruses. (Monckeberg must have been one unhappy dude, we feel for him.)

We’ll try to find a happier medical terminology for next time. But today, the term is arteriosclerosis and we’re sticking with it. Stay tuned for more.

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