Atherosclerosis

Diagnosis

Mayo Clinic doctors diagnose your condition based on a physical examination. In addition to a family history of cardiovascular disease, common risk factors for atherosclerosis include high blood pressure (hypertension), diabetes, obesity and smoking. If you have unusual risk factors associated with coronary artery disease, Mayo Clinic's diagnostic procedures enable the team to develop an appropriate treatment program whether you have a family history of heart attack or stroke, early onset heart disease or another heart condition.

Blood tests and imaging help the medical team determine whether you have risk factors for atherosclerosis.

• Homocysteine. High levels of this amino acid in your blood may damage the lining of the arterial wall.
• Fibrinogen. Although this protein is essential to prevent blood loss from injuries, at elevated levels it may increase the risk of blood clots in your heart, which can cause a heart attack, or in your brain, which can cause a stroke.
• Lipoprotein-a. If you have a family history of early-onset atherosclerosis, the unique blood fat (lipid) in this lipoprotein may be elevated.
• Small LDL particles. The small particles of "bad" cholesterol can form plaque in your arteries and cause atherosclerosis more easily than the larger LDL particles. This test can show whether you have a large number of the small particles.
• C-reactive protein. The C-reactive protein is an indicator (marker) for inflammation and is associated with higher risk of heart attack and stroke.
• Computerized tomography (CT). CT scans are increasingly being used for evaluation of the amount of calcium in your coronary arteries, which is an indicator of cholesterol-related plaque. CT scans can also image your heart arteries.

Read more about the C-reactive protein test and computerized tomography at MayoClinic.com.