A Study on Coronary Atherosclerosis-An Autopsy based Study

Atherosclerosis is an endothelial dysfunction of the arteries and the leading cause of death and disability in the developed world and usually involves the aorta, large and medium sized elastic and muscular arteries of the heart, brain, kidneys and extremities, predisposing such organs to ischemic injury. In coronary arteries it causes myocardial infarction and angina pectoris, in central nervous system it provokes strokes and transient cerebral ischemia, in kidneys renal artery stenosis, in peripheral circulation it causes intermittent claudication and gangrene and can jeopardize limb viability.⁽¹⁴⁾ Atherosclerosis involves the development of a plaque composed of variable amounts of connective tissue matrix, vascular smooth muscle cells, lipoproteins, calcium, inflammatory cells, chiefly monocyte-derived macrophages, T lymphocytes and mast cells and new blood vessels (neoangiogenesis). The Study is prospective and one Hundred hearts are examined from the different age groups of males and females, during the medico legal Autopsies. The study showed significantly the higher proportion of atherosclerosis in males than females and prevalence rate is increased as the age is increased and significant lesions are seen in chronic smokers, alcoholics and in non vegetarians.