Arteriosclerosis is more commonly known as a hardening of the arteries and you may also hear it called atherosclerosis. It is usually causes by fat or cholesterol building up on the inside of the arteries. This narrows the space for the flow of blood and so less blood can get around the body. This condition can ultimately lead to heart disease which is one of the biggest killers in the world. You can easily get your cholesterol levels checked and it is really important to get treatment if your levels are too high. There are a number of factors that will make you more predisposed to arteriosclerosis and there are :

• Being male
• If female, being past menopause
• High blood pressure
• High LDL ("bad) cholesterol or triglycerides (fats in the blood)
• Diabetes
• Being overweight
• Smoking
• A family history of heart disease
• Elevated homocysteine levels
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Diets high in saturated fat and trans fatty acids (trans fats)
• Depression

Obviously some of the above things you cannot change however if you fall into the categories that you cannot change you should think about making sure you stay away from the other factors to reduce the chances of getting the condition.

There are a number of drugs that your doctor can prescribe to help with the condition and in certain cases surgery may be required. There are also a number of alternative therapies that could help you manage the condition. One of the best things to do is to visit a nutritionalist in order to assess your diet. It is important to try and reduce the cholesterol in your diet and professional advice can help with this. You could also consider herbal remedies, homeopathy and acupuncture.