Currently, the spread ofreceived the pathology of the cardiovascular system. Among them, one can often find such a disease as atherosclerosis, which leads not only to the deterioration of patients' well-being, but also creates a serious threat to their lives.

How to evaluate the risk of developing atherosclerosis?

Today there is such a thing as the "coefficient of atherogenicity".

This indicator is calculated, andis calculated based on the total cholesterol, LDL, VLDL, HDL and triglycerides. The coefficient of atherogenicity is an integral indicator that allows to predict the risk of developing atherosclerosis with a high accuracy.

The coefficient of atherogenicity is determined by subtracting the ratio of HDL to VLDL from total cholesterol.

It is the ratio of high-density lipoproteins to density lipoproteins that is very low, having the greatest effect on the coefficient value.

The value of the coefficient should not exceed 2.5-3 VDependence on age. If the atherogenic coefficient is above the norm and is between three and four, the risk of developing atherosclerosis is moderate, above four, it is extremely high. In the latter variant, the development of atherosclerosis can begin in the next few months or even weeks.

If the patient has a disease, the value of the indicator can go up to seven units. In this case, treatment with drugs that lower cholesterol is required.

The coefficient of atherogenicity is determined by the datathe content of cholesterol in the serum, which depend on factors of heredity, the presence of hypertension, obesity, diabetes, adynamia and prolonged nerve stress.

The pathogenesis of atherosclerosis is unexploredto end. Today, experts of the World Health Organization characterized this pathological process as changing intima of arteries with the accumulation of fats, complex carbohydrates, the formation of connective tissue at the site of direct damage to the vascular endothelium.

Modern research has allowed more detaildetermine the biophysical and biochemical processes taking place in the intima of the vessels. Infiltrating into the endothelium of the vessels of LDL and HDL cause the development of catabolic reactions of cholesterol.

The stage of fibrous plaque implies a weakening of the transport of low density lipoproteins into the arterial wall and activation of catabolic HDL reactions.

Among all the diagnostic methodsthe coefficient of atherogenicity allows to reliably monitor the patient's condition, as well as determine the risk of developing atherosclerosis. The latter allows timely conduct preventive, therapeutic manipulations and prevent the development of the disease.

What is dangerous atherosclerosis?

Most often this disease develops in the vessels of the lower extremities, leading to intermittent claudication in severe cases, which significantly limits the functional state of a person.

The development of plaques in the vessels (blood supply to the heart muscle) leads to the development of angina and heart attack, which creates a high risk for the life of patients.

The coefficient of atherogenicity was also increased incase, when the development of the pathology of cerebral vessels. The clinical picture in this case is as follows: the patient deteriorates memory, vision and reduced attention.

The development of atherosclerosis occurs in almostall people, beginning with the age of forty-five. However, the danger of the disease lies in the fact that this pathology is substantially "rejuvenated" and today it occurs even in newborn children. This process creates a serious threat to the life of the future generation, which is why it is so important to conduct additional studies, diagnose and treat atherosclerosis at the initial stages of its development.