How common is atherosclerosis? how common is atherosclerosis? is atherosclerosis something that doctors see a lot?

Atherosclerosis : Atherosclerosis is very common in the United States, and throughout the western world. Atherosclerotic heart disease is the leading cause of death in these countries, and yes doctors see quite a bit of it. Atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries increases the risk of heart attacks, and atherosclerosis in the arteries feeding the brain leads to strokes. There are nearly 800, 000 heart attacks and 800, 000 strokes in the us each year, accounting for over 20% of the deaths annually (american heart association heart disease and stroke statistics update, 2010). Important risk factors for atherosclerosis include high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol, tobacco use, obesity, age, gender, and family history. You cannot control your age, gender or genes; so it is critical to maintain good blood pressure, good cholesterol, and not smoke if you want to avoid atherosclerosis.

Yes: It is fairly common in men over 60. With western diet and sedentary life style it is common for physicians to deal with it on a daily basis.