• Contributes to over 710,000 heart attack and stroke, and peripheral vascular disease deaths each year.
• Is responsible for the deaths of more Americans than any other cause.
• Is the leading cause of death in the western world.

PROGRESS IN MEDICAL RESEARCH

Atherosclerosis is the most common form of arteriosclerosis or "hardening of the arteries". It is a complicated disease in which a buildup of fatty deposits within the walls of the arteries restricts, and sometimes blocks completely, the flow of blood to the vital organs of the body. A diseased artery carrying blood to the brain can cause a stroke; to the kidneys, high blood pressure and kidney failure; to the legs, painful walking or loss of a limb. In some patients with atherosclerosis of the aorta (the major body artery), a weakness may result and a fatal rupture of the artery can occur. Atherosclerosis is a degenerative disease that may begin early in life. Medical research has shown us many things about the disease but we are still a long way from knowing how to attack its many causes. Doctors attempt to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, and prevent the buildup of atherosclerosis by lowering high blood pressure, discouraging cigarette smoking, and lowering the amount of cholesterol and saturated fats in the diet.

How has animal research helped people with atherosclerosis?

As a direct result of animal research, surgical procedures have been developed to open arteries which have been blocked by atherosclerotic plaque (cholesterol deposits) in the neck, legs, heart, and kidneys. Investigators at Beth Israel Hospital are beginning to use lasers inside the blood vessels of rabbits to evaporate the occlusions. These procedures help to prevent heart attacks and strokes, and correct elevated blood pressures. Animal research has also been essential in the development of new materials for bypass grafting and the replacement of blood vessels and heart valves. The entire field of cardiac transplantation and the mechanical heart could not have advanced without the use of large animals such as calves.

Do people with atherosclerosis still need animal research?

Yes. The surgical procedures developed through animal research are only temporary solutions. At present, there is no way to alter the basic process of atherosclerosis. Yet without continued research using monkeys, dogs, rats, mice, rabbits, and guinea pigs, there is little hope for ever understanding, controlling, and preventing atherosclerosis. One of the many benefits of using laboratory animals is their relatively short life span. This is enabling scientists to see the benefits of dietary manipulations so that in our lifetime we can benefit from this new knowledge.

What's ahead for people with atherosclerosis?

The problem is enormously complex, but animal research has produced many new leads that are likely to result in new diets and medications to control or prevent atherosclerosis. Without animal research, the enormous suffering and deaths of millions of Americans with atherosclerosis will continue, and the cost to society will increase. However, the exciting discoveries that have resulted from animal research offer new hope for their future.