Signs and Symptoms of Blocked Arteries | UPMC Health Beat (2024)

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Arteries transport oxygen-rich blood and nutrients from the heart throughout the body. Healthy arteries are smooth and blood flows through them easily. But a buildup of cholesterol, fat and calcium, called plaque, in the inner walls of the arteries can slow and sometimes completely block blood flow.

Clogged or blocked arteries, or atherosclerosis, can lead to hypertension (high blood pressure), stroke or even death. So it is important to understand the signs and symptoms of blocked arteries.

Symptoms of clogged or blocked arteries

Clogged arteries can become too narrow and hardened to function properly. Although you may not have any obvious signs at first, symptoms can develop as plaque builds up in the arteries.

The hardening and narrowing of the arteries is called atherosclerosis. It can lead to chest discomfort, angina, dizziness or excessive sweating. This condition can lead to peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the legs and arms. Initially, PAD can cause pain and make walking difficult.

When PAD affects the aorta (the body's main blood vessel) or the iliac arteries, which carry blood to the legs and pelvic organs, it can cause aortoiliac occlusive disease. This disease develops throughout life with various symptoms, including:

• Pain or cramping in the thighs, buttocks or calves while walking.
• Pain, coldness or numbness in the toes at rest.
• Foot or leg ulcers that do not heal.
• Gangrene if the arterial blockage persists, resulting in total loss of circulation.
• Shortness of breath.
• Excessive fatigue after physical activity.

Do I have blocked arteries?

Some common risk factors for blocked arteries include:

• A diet high in saturated fat and trans fat, salt and processed foods.
• Lack of exercise.
• Spanning.
• Diabetes.
• High bloodpressure.
• Try cigarettes.
• Genetic.

If you have more than one of these risk factors, you increase your chance of developing blocked arteries. For example, if you don't exercise, you may become overweight or obese, which increases your chance of developing diabetes and/or high blood pressure.

Your risk is also higher if your father or brother was diagnosed with heart disease before age 55, or if your mother or sister was diagnosed before age 65.

When should you talk to your doctor?

If you are experiencing symptoms of a clogged artery or if this disease runs in your family, you should talk about itour cardiovascular specialists. To make an appointment at the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute, complete a formagreement request formof bel1-855-UPMC-HVI(876-2484).

Test for blocked arteries

If you feel like your arteries are clogged, your doctor may suggest tests such as a cholesterol test, chest X-rays, CT scans, or an ultrasound. We can help you tooManage your stress,weight,diabetes, ofhigh bloodpressureand quitting smoking, which can help reduce the risk of clogged arteries.

How long can you live with blocked arteries?

Many risk factors and bad habits can lead to clogged arteries, and the effects of blocked arteries usually aren't noticed until you have a problem. Therefore, it is difficult to say how long someone can live with clogged arteries. Complications of clogged arteries can be reduced by quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, controlling blood pressure, eating a healthier diet and exercising regularly.

Therapy

If changes in habits and routines are not effective in stopping the complications of blocked arteries, your doctor may suggest medications to help improve blood pressure or cholesterol levels. If symptoms are severe and cause angina or chest pain that leads to a heart attack, your doctor may suggest a procedure to place stents in the arteries. In this procedure, the doctor places a wire mesh tube into the artery to increase circulation and prevent the artery from narrowing again.

If your symptoms of blocked arteries have led to heart disease, doctors may recommend bypass surgery. This is a more invasive surgery and creates a new passageway for the aorta by using another healthy blood vessel from elsewhere in the body.

Editor's note: This article was originally published onOctober 9, 2018, and was last reviewed on25 april 2022.