Arterial thrombosis

Introduction

Arterial thrombosis is a blood clot that develops in an artery. It's very dangerous, because it can obstruct the flow of blood to major organs.

Depending on where the clot forms, arterial thrombosis can cause several serious conditions, including:

- Myocardial infarction when blood flowto the heart is suddenly blocked
- Stroke when blood flowto the brain is cut off
- Peripheral arterial disease (PAD), also known as peripheral vascular disease (PVD) when a build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries restricts the blood supply toleg muscles

Heart attack and stroke are two of the leading causes of death in the UK.

Arterial thrombosis is a blood clot in an artery, which can be very serious because it can stop blood reaching important organs.

Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body and the heart muscle.

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 9 Jun 2016

Articles for arterial thrombosis

Introduction

Arterial thrombosis is a blood clot that develops in an artery. It's very dangerous, because it can obstruct the flow of blood to major organs. Depending on where the clot forms, arterial thrombosis can cause several serious conditions.

Symptoms

Symptoms and risks of arterial thrombosis: A blood clot doesn't usually have any symptoms until it blocks the flow of blood to part of the body. In the majority of cases, the arterial walls become damaged by atherosclerosis.

Causes

Arterial thrombosis usually affects people whose arteries are clogged with fatty deposits. This is known as atherosclerosis. These deposits cause the arteries to harden and narrow over time and increase the risk of blood clots.

Treatment

In order to treat arterial thrombosis, specialized help from hospital centers. Since this is a severe disease, medication should start as soon as possible; the prognosis of the disease depends on this. Antithrombotic and anticoagulant medicine are necessary and should be administered as soon as possible.

Prevention

It's not possible to prevent blood clots entirely, but you can reduce your risk by lowering your risk of atherosclerosis. If you've previously had a blood clot, you may need to take medicines to reduce the risk of it happening again.

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