Arteries

Arteries Latest News

Pain in your legs when you walk can be a warning sign that the arteries carrying blood to your legs are becoming blocked, a condition called peripheral artery disease (PAD). 

About Arteries

• Arteries are the blood vessels that bring oxygen-rich blood from your heart to all of your body’s cells. 
• Arteries make up a major part of the circulatory system, with the veins and heart being the other main components. 
• They play a crucial role in distributing oxygen, nutrients, and hormones throughout your body.
• Your heart pumps oxygen-rich blood into the biggest artery in your body — your aorta. 
• This branches off into parts that feed smaller and smaller arteries, eventually reaching your entire body. 
• Arteries keep your body alive and healthy by delivering what your cells and tissues need. 
• Roughly 10% of your body’s blood is in your arteries at any point in time.
• Your arteries have three layers:
  • Tunica intima, or inner layer: Has tissue with elastic fiber.
  • Tunica media, or middle layer: This is mostly smooth muscle that lets your arteries get tighter or more open as needed.
  • Tunica externa, or outer layer: Interacts with other tissues, including nerves that send commands to pull in or expand.
• The two types of arteries are:
  • Elastic: Have more elastic tissue than muscular arteries and are located close to your heart. Examples: Aorta and pulmonary artery.
  • Muscular: Have more smooth muscle than elastic arteries. Examples: Femoral, radial, and brachial arteries.
• Specific arteries provide blood to organs or certain parts of your body, such as:
  • Coronary arteries: Heart.
  • Carotid arteries: Brain, head, face and neck.
  • Vertebral arteries: Brain and spine.
  • Iliac arteries: Pelvis.
  • Femoral artery: Legs.
  • Subclavian arteries: Head, neck, and arms.
  • Celiac and mesenteric arteries: Digestive system.
• Conditions that can harm your arteries include:
  • Atherosclerosis, a condition in which plaque builds up inside your arteries.
    • Over time, plaque hardens and causes your arteries to narrow. 
    • That limits the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your body.
  • Aneurysm (a stretch or bulge in an artery that can break open).
  • Blood clot.
  • Coronary artery disease (atherosclerosis in your coronary arteries).
  • Carotid artery disease (atherosclerosis in your carotid artery).
  • High blood pressure.
  • High cholesterol.
  • Peripheral artery disease (PAD): A common condition in which narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the arms or legs. 
  • Vasculitis.

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How are Arteries Different from Veins?

• Arteries:
  • Take oxygen-rich blood away from your heart and distribute it to your whole body.
  • Have strong, muscular walls that can handle the high pressure of blood your heart pumps out with each heartbeat.
  • Don’t need valves because the force of the blood coming from your heart ensures the blood only goes in one direction.
• Veins:
  • Bring blood back to your heart after your body’s cells and tissues have taken the oxygen out of it. This is known as oxygen-poor blood or deoxygenated blood.
  • Have thinner walls because the pressure inside them isn’t as high as it is in arteries.
  • Have valves inside them to keep blood from moving in the wrong direction.

News: MED