When does atherosclerosis develop?

Over a lifetime: Typically cholesterol plaques start to deposit in the arteries of the body as early as age 30. By the time someone is 50 years old and 20 years of plaque build up have occurred, the narrowed arteries can start to cause symptoms of low blood flow, such as chest pain with partially blocked coronary arteries. Atherosclerosis is a slow process and monitoring should be redone regularly.

Can start as child: It is a progressive hardening of the arteries, caused by fat, cholesterol, and other substances building up in the arteries - this is called plaque - making the arteries stiffer.This plaque interferes with the normal function of the arteries and can cause problems and symptoms throughout the body.The plaque can block the arteries and/or it can break off and flow to smaller vessels and block them.