Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a buildup of cholesterol plaques in the arteries of the body and is one of the most common and easily treated forms of heart disease.

Atherosclerosis in the carotid or cerebral arteries (in the brain) may produce strokes. In the arteries of the heart, it may produce angina or MI (heart attack). It can also affect arteries in the abdomen, which can cause an aortic aneurysm, or arteries in the legs, which can cause pain when walking.

Atherosclerosis can cause a variety of symptoms, including chest pain (angina) and a heart attack. Please talk to your doctor about being tested for heart disease if you have:

• Diabetes
• Family history of atherosclerosis
• High cholesterol
• Hypertension
• Obesity
• Sedentary Lifestyle
• Smoking

Find a Cardiologist or Heart Specialist

Your physician can refer you to a cardiologist who practices at the Alta Bates Summit Cardiac Catheterization Lab, where you can receive diagnostics and lifesaving interventions.

You can also use our online Find a Doctor tool to find a heart specialist in the San Francisco East Bay area who can determine the best diagnostic and treatment options for your unique needs.

About the Cardiovascular Center of Excellence

At Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, our heart specialists deliver compassionate patient care using leading-edge procedures, to patients living throughout the San Francisco East Bay area. While our cardiac services are located in Berkeley and Oakland, patients come to our heart center from Hayward, Pleasanton, Lafayette, and other East Bay communities as well as from greater California and the United States to seek the best cardiac hospital care available. Our experienced team of top heart and cardiovascular specialists strive to work with each patient to identify the best treatment options for heart and vascular conditions. Whether you need a top heart surgeon (or specialist), a cardiac specialist, a vascular or thoracic surgeon, or one of our best-in-class cardiothoracic specialists - our doctors, nurses and technologists will work with you to strive for the best cardiovascular care for your unique needs. We strive to be the best cardiac hospital not just in the San Francisco East Bay but for every patient who enters our heart center, whether they come from Oakland, Berkeley, or beyond the Bay Area.