atherosclerosis -- hardening and narrowing of the arteries -- gets a lot of bad press with good reason. this progressive process silently and slowly blocks arteries putting blood flow at risk. atherosclerosis is the usual cause of heart attacks strokes and peripheral vascular disease -- what together are called "cardiovascular disease. " cardiovascular disease is the no. 1 killer in america with more than 800 000 deaths in 2005.
what is atherosclerosis?