Exercise Physiology: Theory and Application to Fitness and Performance 9th Edition by Scott Powers, Edward Howley

Exercise 5

List the steps (beginning with activation of epithelial cells on the intima) leading to the rupture of plaque that can result in a clot that can cause a heart attack.

Step 1 of 2

The building up of plaque inside the walls of blood vessels is called atherosclerosis. It is an inflammatory condition which is initiated in the inner lining of the arteries. The process of inflammation occurs in response to tissue injury or damage to the blood vessels. Damaged tissues release substances that make the endothelial cells of the vessel lining bind leukocytes, stop them from flowing away along with the blood. They then squeeze through the endothelial cells and migrate into the tissues where damage has occurred.