Which complications are associated with atherosclerosis?

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Atherosclerosis creates narrowed arteries and a vulnerable plaque that can rupture, leading to thrombosis. When a clot forms and blocks blood flow, tissues downstream are deprived of oxygen, causing infarction. In the coronary arteries this manifests as myocardial ischemia and can progress to a heart attack; in the brain it can cause a stroke; in other arteries it can produce ischemia in various organs or limbs. So the most direct and clinically relevant complications tied to atherosclerosis are thrombosis, tissue infarction, myocardial ischemia, and stroke.

Hypertension and hyperlipidemia are risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing atherosclerosis, not direct complications. Aneurysm formation can occur with atherosclerosis in some vessels like the aorta, but it’s not as universal or central a consequence as thrombosis with resultant ischemia/infarction. Pulmonary embolism arises from clots in the venous system rather than from arterial atherosclerosis of the lungs.