Arteriosclerosis, commonly called hardening of the arteries, is a disease in which the arteries become hard, inelastic, and thick, thus reducing blood flow. In atherosclerosis, a form of arteriosclerosis, fatty substances called plaque build up on the arteries' interior walls. Blocked coronary arteries can cause chest pain and, in severe cases, heart attack. Badly blocked arteries in the legs can cause tissue death requiring amputation. The kidneys can fail if their arteries are severely blocked, and when brittle arteriosclerotic brain arteries rupture, stroke occurs. Because of these serious effects, research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of arteriosclerosis has been intense.

Arteriosclerosis is a very ancient disease; 3500-year-old Egyptian mummies show signs of it. The hardened condition of the arteries was noted by Greek physician Galen in the second century a.d., but a full description of the disease was first made by Antonio Scarpa (1752-1832) in 1804. Scarpa...