Vascular Diseases | MedlinePlus
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Health Topics
Vascular Diseases
URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/vasculardiseases.html
Vascular Diseases
On this page
Basics
Summary
Start Here
Diagnosis and Tests
Treatments and Therapies
Specifics
Genetics
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Videos and Tutorials
Research
Clinical Trials
Journal Articles
Resources
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For You
Children
Patient Handouts
Summary
What are vascular diseases?
Your vascular system is your body's network of blood vessels. It includes your:
Arteries, which carry oxygen-rich blood from your heart to your tissues and organs
Veins, which carry the blood and waste products back to your heart
Capillaries, which are tiny blood vessels that connect your small arteries to your small veins. The walls of the capillaries are thin and leaky, to allow for an exchange of materials between your tissues and blood.
Vascular diseases are conditions which affect your vascular system. They are common and can be serious. Some types include:
Aneurysm
- a bulge or "ballooning" in the wall of an artery
Atherosclerosis
- a disease in which plaque builds up inside your arteries. Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood.
Blood clots
, including
deep vein thrombosis
and
pulmonary embolism
Coronary artery disease
and
carotid artery disease
, diseases that involve the narrowing or blockage of an artery. The cause is usually a buildup of plaque.
Raynaud phenomenon
- a disorder that causes the blood vessels to narrow when you are cold or feeling stressed
Stroke
- a serious condition that happens when blood flow to your brain stops.
Varicose veins
- swollen, twisted veins that you can see just under the skin
Vasculitis
- inflammation of the blood vessels
What causes vascular diseases?
The causes of vascular diseases depend on the specific disease. These causes include:
Genetics
Heart diseases such as
high cholesterol
and
high blood pressure
Infection
Injury
Medicines, including hormones
Sometimes the cause is unknown.
Who is at risk for vascular diseases?
The risk factors for vascular diseases can vary, depending on the specific disease. But some of the more common risk factors include:
Age - your risk of some diseases goes up as you get older
Conditions that can affect the heart and blood vessels, such as
diabetes
or high cholesterol
Family history of vascular or heart diseases
Infection or injury that damages your veins
Lack of exercise
Obesity
Pregnancy
Sitting or standing still for long periods of time
Smoking
What are the symptoms of vascular diseases?
The symptoms for each disease are different.
How are vascular diseases diagnosed?
To make a diagnosis, your health care provider will do a physical exam and ask about your symptoms and medical history. You may have
imaging tests
and/or blood tests.
How are vascular diseases treated?
Which treatment you get depends on which vascular disease you have and how severe it is. Types of treatments for vascular diseases include:
Lifestyle changes, such as eating a heart-healthy diet and getting more exercise
Medicines, such as
blood pressure medicines
blood thinners
cholesterol medicines
, and clot-dissolving drugs. In some cases, providers use a catheter to send medicine directly to a blood vessel.
Non-surgical procedures, such as
angioplasty
, stenting, and vein ablation
Surgery
Can vascular diseases be prevented?
There are steps you can take to help prevent vascular diseases:
Make healthy lifestyle changes, such as eating a heart-healthy diet and getting more exercise
Don't smoke. If you are already a smoker, talk to your health care provider for help in finding the best way for you to
quit
Keep your blood pressure and cholesterol in check
If you have diabetes, control your
blood sugar
Try not to sit or stand for up long periods of time. If you do need to sit all day, get up and move around every hour or so. If you are traveling on a long trip, you can also wear compression stockings and regularly stretch your legs.
Start Here
Peripheral Vascular Disease
(Texas Heart Institute)
Also in
Spanish
Vascular Conditions: Common Conditions
(Society for Vascular Surgery)
Diagnosis and Tests
Catheter Angiography
(American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America)
Also in
Spanish
CT Angiography (CTA)
(American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America)
Also in
Spanish
Heart Health Tests: MedlinePlus Health Topic
(National Library of Medicine)
Also in
Spanish
MR Angiography (MRA)
(American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America)
Also in
Spanish
Ultrasound -- Vascular
(American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America)
Also in
Spanish
Venography -- Blood Flow Examination of Veins
(American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America)
Also in
Spanish
Treatments and Therapies
Angioplasty and Vascular Stenting
(American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America)
Also in
Spanish
Catheter Embolization
(American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America)
Also in
Spanish
Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis
(American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America)
Also in
Spanish
Specifics
Cerebral Cavernous Malformations
(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Chronic Venous Insufficiency
(Johns Hopkins Medicine)
Fibromuscular Dysplasia (FMD)
(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Hemangiomas and Vascular Malformations
(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
Intestinal Ischemia
(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Also in
Spanish
Ischemic Colitis
(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Also in
Spanish
Livedoid Vasculopathy
(Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center)
Liver Hemangioma
(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Moyamoya Disease
(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Sturge-Weber Syndrome
(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome
(Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center)
Also in
Spanish
When Blood Vessels Grow Awry: Understanding Vascular Malformations
(National Institutes of Health)
Also in
Spanish
Genetics
Capillary malformation-arteriovenous malformation syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics
(National Library of Medicine)
Generalized arterial calcification of infancy: MedlinePlus Genetics
(National Library of Medicine)
Grange syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics
(National Library of Medicine)
Hereditary angioedema: MedlinePlus Genetics
(National Library of Medicine)
Hereditary angiopathy with nephropathy, aneurysms, and muscle cramps syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics
(National Library of Medicine)
Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics
(National Library of Medicine)
Multiple cutaneous and mucosal venous malformations: MedlinePlus Genetics
(National Library of Medicine)
Parkes Weber syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics
(National Library of Medicine)
Pseudoxanthoma elasticum: MedlinePlus Genetics
(National Library of Medicine)
Tangier disease: MedlinePlus Genetics
(National Library of Medicine)
Images
Spider Angioma
(VisualDX)
Stasis Ulcer (Venous Ulcer)
(VisualDX)
Strawberry Hemangioma (Infantile Hemangioma)
(VisualDX)
Videos and Tutorials
Blood flow
(Medical Encyclopedia)
Also in
Spanish
Cardiovascular system
(Medical Encyclopedia)
Also in
Spanish
Clinical Trials
ClinicalTrials.gov: Hemangioma
(National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Vascular Diseases
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Article: Nationwide age-adjusted trends and inequities in vascular intestinal disorder mortality in...
Article: Preeclampsia Is a Double-Hit Vascular Disorder: The VEGF-HO-1-CSE Axis.
Article: Trends in the mortality of vascular intestinal disorders in the USA:...
Vascular Diseases -- see more articles
Find an Expert
American Heart Association
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Children
Embolization (For Parents)
(Nemours Foundation)
Also in
Spanish
Sclerotherapy (For Parents)
(Nemours Foundation)
Also in
Spanish
Sturge-Weber Syndrome
(Nemours Foundation)
Venous Malformations (For Parents)
(Nemours Foundation)
Also in
Spanish
What Is Hemangioma?
(American Academy of Ophthalmology)
Also in
Spanish
Patient Handouts
Aortic arch syndrome
(Medical Encyclopedia)
Also in
Spanish
Arterial embolism
(Medical Encyclopedia)
Also in
Spanish
Arteriogram
(Medical Encyclopedia)
Also in
Spanish
Cerebral angiography
(Medical Encyclopedia)
Also in
Spanish
Duplex ultrasound
(Medical Encyclopedia)
Also in
Spanish
Venous insufficiency
(Medical Encyclopedia)
Also in
Spanish
Venous ulcers -- self-care
(Medical Encyclopedia)
Also in
Spanish
Topic Image
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
Aging changes in the heart and blood vessels
Aortic arch syndrome
Arterial embolism
Arterial insufficiency
Arteriogram
Blood flow
C1 esterase inhibitor
Cardiovascular system
Cerebral angiography
Distal splenorenal shunt
Duplex ultrasound
Heart and vascular services
Hemangioma
Hemangioma excision - series
Hepatic hemangioma
Hereditary angioedema
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Livedo reticularis
Magnetic resonance angiography
Mesenteric angiography
Mesenteric artery ischemia
Renal venogram
Renovascular hypertension
Spider angioma
Sturge-Weber syndrome
SVC obstruction
Venogram
Venous insufficiency
Venous ulcers -- self-care
Volkmann contracture
Related Health Topics
Aneurysms
Arteriovenous Malformations
Atherosclerosis
Blood Clots
Carotid Artery Disease
Coronary Artery Disease
Deep Vein Thrombosis
Heart Attack
Heart Health Tests
Peripheral Arterial Disease
Pulmonary Embolism
Raynaud Phenomenon
Stroke
Varicose Veins
Vasculitis
National Institutes of Health
The primary NIH organization for research on
Vascular Diseases
is the
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
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Find
health information in languages other than English
on
Vascular Diseases
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