Disease or Syndrome
arteriosclerosis Audio
ar·te·ri·o·scle·ro·sis [ ahr-teer-ee-oh-skluh-roh-sis ]
Subclass of:
Arterial Occlusive Diseases
Etymology:
Greek artery = (perhaps from aer = air + terein = to keep) + skleros = hard + -osis = condition
Definitions related to arteriosclerosis:
  • A term encompassing a variety of conditions in which artery walls thicken and become less flexible. Sometimes called hardening of the arteries. Arteriosclerosis occurs when cholesterol-rich plaque forms on the inner lining of arteries (atherosclerosis), when artery walls become calcified, or when high blood pressure thickens the muscular wall of arteries.
    Harvard Dictionary of Health Terms
    Harvard Medical Publishing, 2011
  • Sclerosis (hardening) of the arteries with increased thickness of the wall of arteries as well as increased stiffness and a loss of elasticity.
    Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO)
    The Human Phenotype Ontology Project, 2025
  • Thickening and loss of elasticity of the walls of ARTERIES of all sizes. There are many forms classified by the types of lesions and arteries involved, such as ATHEROSCLEROSIS with fatty lesions in the ARTERIAL INTIMA of medium and large muscular arteries.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
  • (arteriosclerosis/ atherosclerosis) A vascular disorder characterized by thickening and hardening of the walls of the arteries. Build-up of fatty material and calcium deposition in the arterial wall resulting in partial or complete occlusion of the arterial lumen.
    U.S. FDA Glossary
    U.S. Food & Drug Administration, 2021
  • Arteriosclerosis occurs when the blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients from your heart to the rest of your body (arteries) become thick and stiff - sometimes restricting blood flow to your organs and tissues. Healthy arteries are flexible and elastic, but over time, the walls in your arteries can harden, a condition commonly...
    Mayo Clinic
    Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2025
  • Arteriosclerosis, chronic disease characterized by abnormal thickening and hardening of the walls of arteries, with a resulting loss of elasticity. Arteries carry oxygenated blood full of nutrients from the heart to organs throughout the body. The arterial wall is made up of three distinct...
    Encyclopedia Britannica
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2025
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