English

Noun

atherosclerosis ‎(plural atheroscleroses)

1. (pathology) The clogging or hardening of arteries or blood vessels caused by plaques (accumulations of fatty deposits, usually cholesterol).
   • 2013 June 29, “A punch in the gut”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, page 72-3:

     Mostly, the microbiome is beneficial. It helps with digestion and enables people to extract a lot more calories from their food than would otherwise be possible. Research over the past few years, however, has implicated it in diseases from atherosclerosis to asthma to autism.

Usage notes

Atherosclerosis is easily confused with arteriosclerosis. The latter is a general term for hardening of arteries, for which atherosclerosis is one of the most common causes.

Derived terms

• atherosclerotic
• atherosclerotically

Translations

Related terms

• arteriosclerosis