There are two ways to read your question: (1) What are the behavioral and other factors
that case a person to develop arterial plaques? (2) What is the mechanism of plaque
formation? Saul Goad has done a good job of addressing the first question, so I ll take
the second.

Plaque formation begins when something damages the inner lining, called endothelium,
of the blood vessels. Hypertension and diabetes are among the common causes of this.

Blood cells called monocytes adhere to the damaged spot, migrate into the tissue, and
turn into tissue cells called macrophages.

High levels of fat and cholesterol in the blood contribute to plaque development _
particularly those carried in low-density lipoproteins (LDLs, often called "bad
cholesterol," although this isn t a very accurate expression).

Macrophages and smooth muscle cells of the vessel take in these blood lipids, which give
their cytoplasm a frothy microscopic appearance. They are then called foam cells.

Full story:
https://www.quora.com/What-causes-plaque-in-arteries


--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v7.0
* Origin: The Hobby Line! BBS (999:1/1)