<Tr> <Th> Specialty </Th> <Td> Cardiology, angiology </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> (edit on Wikidata) </Td> </Tr> <P> Atherosclerosis (also known as arteriosclerotic vascular disease or ASVD) is a specific form of arteriosclerosis in which an artery wall thickens as a result of invasion and accumulation of white blood cells (macrophages and foam cells) and proliferation of intimal - smooth - muscle cell creating an atheromatous (fibrofatty) plaque . </P> <P> The accumulation of the white blood cells is termed "fatty streaks" early on because of the appearance being similar to that of marbled steak . These accumulations contain both living, active white blood cells (producing inflammation) and remnants of dead cells, including cholesterol and triglycerides . The remnants eventually include calcium and other crystallized materials within the outermost and oldest plaque . The "fatty streaks" reduce the elasticity of the artery walls . However, they do not affect blood flow for decades because the artery muscular wall enlarges at the locations of plaque . The wall stiffening may eventually increase pulse pressure; widened pulse pressure is one possible result of advanced disease within the major arteries . </P>

The plaque that develops from atherosclerosis is made up of