noun

• A disease of the arteries characterized by the deposition of plaques of fatty material on their inner walls.

  See also atheroma and arteriosclerosis

  ‘The underlying cause of most heart attacks is atherosclerosis, a disease of the coronary arteries that usually develops over many years.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘The commonest cause of thrombosis in arteries is atherosclerosis.’
  • ‘Inflammation plays a central role in atherosclerosis, in which fatty deposits clog your arteries.’
  • ‘In atherosclerosis, fatty plaques develop on the inner lining so that the normal flow of blood is reduced.’
  • ‘High levels of homocysteine have been associated with atherosclerosis and cerebrovascular disease.’