Okwu a bụ "atherogenic" na-ezo aka na ihe ma ọ bụ ihe ndị nwere ike ịmepụta atheroma, ma ọ bụ nkwụnye ego nke plaques mejupụtara LDL-cholesterol, sel mkpali na shei fibrous. Ihe omume a dị ize ndụ karịsịa ma ọ bụrụ na akwara na-enye akụkụ dị mkpa dị ka obi ma ọ bụ ụbụrụ. Ọ bụ ihe na-akpata ọtụtụ ọrịa obi, gụnyere ọrịa strok na infarction myocardial. Mgbochi ya bụ isi bụ ịmụta ịdị ọcha na omume nri ka mma. A na-enye ndị ọrịa nwere mgbaàmà ma ọ bụ mgbagwoju anya mgbochi nke abụọ. N'okwu a, ebumnobi bụ iji belata ihe ize ndụ nke mgbagwoju anya ọhụrụ, n'otu mpaghara ma ọ bụ na mpaghara vaskụla ọzọ.

Okwu ahụ bụ "atherogenic" na-ezo aka n'ihe ma ọ bụ ihe ndị nwere ike ịmepụta atheroma, ya bụ, nkwụnye ego nke plaques mejupụtara lipids, mkpụrụ ndụ mkpali, mkpụrụ ndụ akwara dị nro na anụ ahụ jikọtara. Ihe ncheta ndị a na-etinye onwe ha na mgbidi dị n'ime nke ọkara na nnukwu akwara, karịsịa nke obi, ụbụrụ na ụkwụ, na-eduga na mgbanwe mpaghara nke ọdịdị na ọdịdị nke mgbidi ndị a. 

Ndobe nke plaques ndị a nwere ike ibute nnukwu nsogbu dị ka ọrịa akwara obi site na ịkpata:

• ndim na mfu nke elasticity nke mgbidi akwara (atherosclerosis);
• mbelata dayameta nke akwara akwara (stenosis). Ihe omume a nwere ike iru karịa 70% nke dayameta nke akwara. Nke a na-akpọ stenosis siri ike;
• mgbochi akụkụ ma ọ bụ mkpokọta akwara (thrombosis).

Anyị na-ekwu maka nri atherogenic iji gosipụta nri bara ụba na abụba, dị ka nri Western nke bara ụba na abụba juputara na trans fatty acids na-eso hydrogenation nke fatty acids site na nhazi ụlọ ọrụ.

Mmepe nke plaques atheroma nwere ike ịbụ n'ihi ọtụtụ ihe, mana isi ihe kpatara ya bụ oke cholesterol n'ime ọbara, ma ọ bụ hypercholesterolemia. N'ezie, imepụta ihe ncheta atheroma na-adabere na nguzozi dị n'etiti iri nri nke cholesterol, ọkwa ya na mkpochapụ ya.

N'ime oge ndụ, ọtụtụ usoro ga-ebu ụzọ mepụta mmebi na mgbidi akwara, karịsịa na mpaghara bifurcation:

• ọbara mgbali elu nke, na mgbakwunye na arụ ọrụ ya na mgbidi, na-emezigharị intracellular eruba nke lipoproteins;
• vasomotor bekee, dị ka angiotensin na catecholamines, nke na-achịkwa ikpughe sub-endothelial collagen;
• ihe na-akpata hypoxiant, dị ka nicotine, nke na-akpata nhụjuanya cellular na-eduga na mgbasa nke njikọ intercellular.

Mmebi ndị a ga-enye ohere ịbanye n'ime mgbidi akwara nke obere lipoproteins dịka HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) na LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) lipoproteins. LDL-cholesterol, nke a na-akpọkarị "cholesterol ọjọọ", nke dị n'ọbara nwere ike ịmalite. Ọ si otú a na-emepụta ọnyá mbụ nke mbụ, nke a na-akpọ streaks lipid. Ndị a bụ nkwụnye ego na-etolite ụzọ lipid ebili n'ahụ mgbidi dị n'ime akwara. Nke nta nke nta, LDL-cholesterol oxidizes ebe ahụ wee ghọọ mkpali maka mgbidi dị n'ime. Iji kpochapụ ya, ndị nke ikpeazụ na-eweghachi macrophages nke nwere LDL-cholesterol. Ewezuga usoro nhazi ọ bụla, macrophages na-ebuwanye ibu, na-anwụ site na apoptosis mgbe ọ ka nọ na mpaghara. Usoro nkịtị nke ikpochapụ irighiri ihe cellular enweghị ike itinye aka, ha na-agbakọta na plaque atheroma nke na-eto nwayọọ nwayọọ. Na nzaghachi maka usoro a, mkpụrụ ndụ akwara dị nro nke mgbidi vaskụla na-akwaga n'ime plaque na mgbalị ikewapụ ụyọkọ cell mkpali a. Ha ga-etolite eriri fibrous nke nwere eriri collagen: ha niile na-etolite efere siri ike ma ọ bụ nke siri ike. N'okpuru ọnọdụ ụfọdụ, plaque macrophages na-emepụta proteases nwere ike igbari collagen nke mkpụrụ ndụ akwara dị nro na-emepụta. Mgbe ihe omume mkpali a na-aghọ nke na-adịghị ala ala, omume nke proteases na eriri na-akwalite nhazi nke screed nke na-aghọwanye nke na-esighị ike ma nwee ike ịgbawa. N'okwu a, mgbidi dị n'ime nke akwara nwere ike ịgbawa. A na-ejikọta platelet ọbara na irighiri ihe cellular na lipids na-akwakọba n'ime plaque ahụ ka ọ bụrụ mkpụkọ, nke ga-ebelata ma mesịa gbochie eruba ọbara.

Ọ bụ LDL na HDL lipoproteins na-ebuga cholesterol, site na nri dị n'ọbara, site na eriri afọ gaa na imeju ma ọ bụ akwara, ma ọ bụ site na akwara ruo imeju. Nke a bụ ya mere, mgbe anyị chọrọ ịchọpụta ihe ize ndụ atherogenic, anyị na-eji lipoproteins ndị a tụnyere ọnụ ọgụgụ ha:

• Ọ bụrụ na enwere ọtụtụ lipoproteins LDL, nke na-ebuga cholesterol na akwara, ihe ize ndụ dị elu. N'ihi nke a, a na-akpọ LDL-cholesterol atherogenic;
• Ihe ize ndụ a na-ebelata mgbe ọkwa nke HDL lipoproteins ọbara, nke na-ahụ na nlọghachi nke cholesterol n'imeju ebe a na-edozi ya tupu ekpochapụ ya, dị elu. Ya mere, HDL-HDL-cholesterol ruru eru dị ka cardioprotective mgbe ọkwa ya dị elu, yana dịka ihe ize ndụ nke obi mgbe ọkwa ya dị ala.

Mkpokọta nke plaques atheromatous nwere ike jiri nwayọọ nwayọọ gbochie mgbaba ọbara ma bute ọdịdị nke mgbaàmà mpaghara:

• achịcha;
• oke igwe;
• mkpụmkpụ ume;
• enweghị ntụkwasị obi mgbe ị na-eje ije, wdg.

Nsogbu siri ike nke atherosclerosis na-ebilite site na mgbawa nke plaques atherosclerotic, na-ebute mwepu nke mkpụkọ ma ọ bụ thrombus, nke na-egbochi eruba ọbara ma na-akpata ischemia, nsonaazụ ya nwere ike ịdị njọ ma ọ bụ na-egbu egbu. Enwere ike imetụta akwara akwara nke akụkụ ahụ dị iche iche:

• ọrịa akwara obi, na obi, na angina ma ọ bụ angina pectoris dị ka ihe mgbaàmà, na ihe ize ndụ nke infarction myocardial;
• carotids, n'olu, nwere ihe ize ndụ nke ihe mberede cerebrovascular (stroke);
• aorta nke afọ, n'okpuru diaphragm, nwere ihe ize ndụ nke mgbawa aneurysm;
• akwara digestive, n'ime eriri afọ, nwere ihe ize ndụ nke infarction mesenteric;
• akwara akwara, na ọkwa nke akụrụ, nwere ihe ize ndụ nke infarction gbasara akụrụ;
• akwara akwara nke obere akụkụ nke nwere ihe mgbaàmà nke ịkụ ụkwụ nke ala.

Ewezuga ihe nketa, mmekọahụ na afọ, mgbochi nke e guzobere plaques atheromatous na-adabere na mgbazi nke ihe ize ndụ nke obi:

• njikwa ibu, ọbara mgbali elu na ọrịa shuga;
• ịkwụsị ị smokingụ sịga;
• imega ahụ́ mgbe niile;
• nnabata nke àgwà iri nri dị mma;
• mmachi nke ịṅụ mmanya;
• njikwa nrụgide, wdg.

Mgbe plaque atheromatous na-abaghị uru ma ọ pụtaghị mmetụta, mgbochi mbụ a nwere ike zuru ezu. Ọ bụrụ na usoro mbụ ndị a daa, mgbe plaque ahụ malitere, enwere ike ịkwado ọgwụgwọ ọgwụ. Enwere ike ịde ya ozugbo ma ọ bụrụ na enwere nnukwu nsogbu nke nsogbu. A na-atụ aro ya n'usoro maka mgbochi nke abụọ mgbe ihe omume mbụ nke obi gasịrị. Ọgwụgwọ ọgwụ a gụnyere:

• ọgwụ ndị na-egbochi platelet, dị ka aspirin na obere doses, na-ebelata ọbara;
• ọgwụ na-ebelata egbugbere ọnụ (statins, fibrates, ezetimibe, cholestyramine, naanị ma ọ bụ ngwakọta) na ebumnuche nke ibelata ọkwa cholesterol ọjọọ, na-emezi ọkwa cholesterol na-edozi ahụ na ịkwado plaques atheroma.

N'ịbụ ndị nwere akara atheromatous dị elu nke nwere stenosis siri ike ihu, enwere ike ịtụle revaskụla site na angioplasty akwara. Nke a na-enye ohere ịgbasa mpaghara atheromatous ekele maka balloon na-ekpo ọkụ n'ebe ahụ n'ime akwara na ischemia. Iji nọgide na-emeghe oghere na iweghachi ọbara, a na-etinye obere ngwaọrụ a na-akpọ stent ma hapụ ya.