Arteriosclerosis

What it means

Sclerosis (hardening) of the arteries with increased thickness of the wall of arteries as well as increased stiffness and a loss of elasticity.

Although arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis are often used as if they were synonyms, they are not. Atherosclerosis is the most common type of arteriosclerosis, and is caused by plaque building up in the vessel, which in turn causes sclerosis, increased stiffness, and loss of elasticity of the affected arteries.

In everyday care

Most people with this sign do not have a rare disease — it appears in common conditions far more often. These general reference pages cover the same topic:

Rare diseases that can present with this5

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Hardened artery wall