Atherothrombosis is the blockage of the arteries by fatty plaques that form in the wall of the same, said Dr. Manuel Duarte, a specialist in vascular disease.

And its main cause lies in the lifestyle of each person: When a diet is high in fat and not done any physical activity that allows consume these fats, is detonated atherothrombosis.

“In Mexico, between 60 and 80% of adults do not exercise on a daily basis, so you have a lot of people with obesity,” said Duarte, who is also an internist at New Civil Hospital of Guadalajara.

Another problem that affects the development of atherothrombosis is diabetes mellitus, since an increase in blood sugar 10 times faster training with respect to normal people.

Also snuff addiction (40% of Mexico’s population smoke) increases the risk of atherothrombotic disease and hypertension.

How is a thrombus?

It forms when fatty plaques adhere to the arteries, it’s like a scale that reduces the lumen of the artery.

So, if we remember that blood is not only liquid, for in it are floating various types of cells and substances, so that the movement made slower, we are starting to hit one another.

In addition, there are blood cells called platelets, which eventually interpret these fatty plaques as an injury to the artery and seek to resolve the problem with blood clots.

Thus, over the years, the reduced fatty plaque in the light of the arterial wall and the platelets then form the clot in an artery that has several years of obstruction.

If not removed the clot and fatty plaque on the artery does not pass the blood and the affected organ suffering from lack of oxygen, resulting in a stroke, either from the heart, brain or legs (gangrene is common expression).

Signs and symptoms

First of all, I must say that there are types of patients: Those who do not have any discomfort which are the majority of patients (70% of patients). And those who have symptoms that are less.

Symptoms are detected regularly in people who have already had a heart attack in the heart, stroke, brain or have circulatory problems in the legs, manifested in pain when walking. These are symptoms that come on late.

Does the 70% of people have no way of knowing that has the disease?

The way to tell is a good medical examination in checking their cholesterol and sugar. As we do with cars: a tune every certain amount of miles. The problem is that people are not accustomed to going to the doctor as a preventive.

Doctors usually diagnosed when any symptoms atherothrombosis as is, myocardial infarction (most common).

Medical checks

An adult, after 30 years of age should be measured cholesterol levels and sugar at least once a year.

The progression of the disease

Asymptomatic Atherothrombosis is around 20 to 30 years. Today we know that starts from childhood, with the lifestyles of diet and exercise that the family is giving the individual.

About suffer more evil?

It is necessary to divide women into two groups: women before menopause and women after menopause.

The reason is that, while they are menstruating, estrogens protect them and prevent them from accumulating a large amount of fat in the arteries, but once it passes this stage and enter menopause, the risk becomes much greater, because they lose estrogen .

The men were mainly suffering from the problem, but now women have more risk.

Are there specific tests for detection of atherothrombosis?

There is a simple test that can predict free early, the possibility that a person has atherothrombosis and can make people in the office, is called ankle / arm index, which measure the pressure of the arms and legs, then made a small division.

Possible treatment

When diagnosed atherothrombosis given drug therapy with a drug that helps reduce levels of low density cholesterol, antiplatelet (such as clopidogrel), which reduces platelet aggregation and some other medicines that improve the blood supply to the kidneys and heart.

Coupled with drug therapy is always recommended a healthy diet, exercise 30 minutes every day, not smoking, losing weight, in the case of people with diabetes, controlling your sugar figure with diet and exercise.

There are more men achieved before the age of 45 years and beyond that age instead found more women. In North America millions of people suffering from these diseases and almost 80% of people over age 50 are affected in one form or another.

The body parts most often affected are the hands and joints have to bear more weight, such as knees, hips and spine.

The osteoarthritis is divided into two categories, primary and secondary. In the primary category the degenerative process is the result of 50 or 60 years of life, without apparent hereditary predisposition. The cumulative effect of pressure and mobilizations of the joints during the decades leading to a slow degenerative process of the collagen matrix used to support the cartilage.
The damage caused is the result of the action of enzymes that destroy cartilage components.

General causes of Osteoarthritis:
- Aging of the collagen matrix and its ability to renew itself
- Modified biochemistry
- Genetic predispositions
- Fractures and Injuries
- Hormonal factors and sexual

Onset of the disease

Early osteoarthritis can be very subtle. Slight joint pain in the morning at sunrise or pain and stiffness after adopting a certain time a sitting or lying position.

The pain increases with activity and decrease with the rest of the painful joint. Impairment of knee joints and hip can make the movement and walking difficult and uncertain.

Achieving the joints of the spine, which is very common, produces a compression of nerves and blood vessels, causing pain but also an inadequate blood supply.

One of the most paradoxical aspects of osteoarthritis is that there is no direct correlation between the increase or intensity of pain and aggravation of pain. In some cases a little affected joints can cause severe pain and instead a more joint damage will be barely felt by the patient. It seems that the emotional state and stress level of the person would influence the perception of pain.

The anti-pain and anti-inflammatory traditional generally provide temporary relief of pain, but they contribute to the deterioration of cartilage and inhibits its reconstruction.

Medical Description
The term Arthritis (from Greek arthron: joint) includes more than one hundred diseases characterized by inflammation in one or more joints, and whose causes are various. It can be an acute or chronic. Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the most common forms of arthritis.

Previously, we used instead the word rheumatism (rheumatismus the Latin for “flow of fluids) to refer to all these diseases that are accompanied by pain in joints or surrounding tissue. This term is now considered obsolete by the Arthritis Society of Canada.

Pain, swelling and often redness and warmth to the joints are typical of these diseases.

Inflammation may occur as a result of shock, diseases, infections or simple wear and tear, but can also be the consequence of an autoimmune disease whereby the body attacks its own tissues. Sometimes, the joints swell for no apparent reason.

Types of Arthritis
The two most common forms:
* Osteoarthritis. Also called osteoarthritis, osteoarthritis is the most common arthritis, they say it is formed “to wear.” The appearance of the small bony features. It mainly affects joints that bear much of the body weight, such as the hips and knees. Osteoarthritis is caused by overweight or repeated use of a joint (a professional occupation or a sport). It usually appears in midlife.
* Rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis causes inflammation throughout the body, which distinguishes it from osteoarthritis. The joints of the hands, wrists and feet are often affected first and become deformed. Curiously, this type of arthritis occurs early in adulthood. Although scientists have not yet discovered its cause, it seems to be of autoimmune origin and influenced by genetics and lifestyle, especially diet.

Other common forms of arthritis:

* infectious: it can occur when an infection reaches directly articulation and creates inflammation;
* Reactive arthritis: This form of arthritis also appears to result from infection, but it occurs elsewhere in the body;
* Juvenile arthritis: a rare form of rheumatoid arthritis occurring in children and adolescents, and often diminishes with age;
* Psoriatic arthritis: a form of arthritis that is accompanied by skin lesions typical of psoriasis;
* Bursitis: a painful inflammation of the buffer zones of articulations (bursa) often caused by pressure or friction;
* Gout and pseudogout: crystal deposition in joints, in the form of uric acid in cases of gout or calcium phosphate in case of pseudogout, causes inflammation and pain;
* Lupus: it is considered a form of arthritis since it is a chronic inflammatory disease of connective tissue;
* Polymyositis: a rare disease which causes inflammation in the muscles, which then lose their force;
* Scleroderma: an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic hardening of the skin, which can affect the joints and cause the typical symptoms of arthritis;
* Ankylosing spondylitis: a chronic inflammation of the joints of the vertebrae of the back which gradually expands and causes stiffness and pain in the back, torso and hips;
* Sjögren’s syndrome: an autoimmune disease that causes severe chronic inflammation of connective tissue and often accompanied by rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma and polymyositis;
* Tendonitis: inflammation of a tendon often caused by trauma (stretching abrupt, direct impact, technical defect in a sport) that causes joint pain. Consult our section Joints (sports and work).