Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and
its primary cause is hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis. As
people grow older, fat, cholesterol, and calcium build up in the walls
of arteries and form hard structures called plaques. The process of
calcium accumulation in blood vessels resembles bone formation and
involves maintaining a balance between bone-forming cells called
osteoblasts and bone-destroying cells called osteoclasts. The resulting
plaques cause arteries to become narrow and stiff and can obstruct blood
flow. As a consequence, oxygen-starved tissue can become damaged or
die, leading to heart attack and stroke. Although many risk factors for
atherosclerosis have been identified, the cause is not known and there
is currently no way to reverse it once it sets in.
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