Other names for Atherosclerosis : Arteriosclerosis, Hardening of the Arteries.

Atherosclerosis is a health condition in which fatty material is deposited along the walls of arteries. This fatty material thickens, hardens, and may eventually block the arteries. If the atherosclerosis happens to occur in the coronary arteries, further blockage through a blood clot or spasm can lead to chest pain or a heart attack. Clots can also form around the plaque deposits, further interfering with blood flow and posing added danger if they break off and travel to the heart, lungs, or brain. Many physicians now suspect that there is an immune system component to the problem (inflammation may help cause atherosclerosis). Atherosclerosis is just one of several types of "arterio"-sclerosis, which is characterized by thickening and hardening of artery walls, but the two terms are often used to mean the same thing. Atherosclerosis can cause erection problems, including impotence.
   Abdominal obesity measured by waist girth is associated with early atherosclerosis. In other words, the more abdominal fat a person carries, the more likely their coronary arteries are clogged with fatty material or plaque.

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Natural supplements to prevent or reduce atherosclerosis
Diet is the most important factor in development of atherosclerosis, following by smoking. See suggestions for diet that you could be helpful to you.

Grape seed extract has been studied in animals with good results

How Atherosclerosis Occurs
Fat, cholesterol, and other substances accumulate in the walls of arteries and form "atheromas" or plaques. Eventually, this fatty tissue can erode the wall of the artery, diminish its elasticity (stretchiness) and interfere with blood flow. Plaques can also rupture, causing debris to migrate downstream within an artery. This is a common cause of heart attack and stroke.

Cause of atherosclerosis
There are various causes for atherosclerosis include poor diet, genetic predisposition, stress, lack of good sleep, smoking, overeating, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and living near heavy traffic and being exposed to air pollution.

Weight loss reduces risk for atherosclerosis
In addition to reducing cholesterol and other known cardiac risk factors, controlling one's weight slows the build up of calcium on the walls of the coronary arteries and retard the progression of atherosclerosis.

Pactimide and Atherosclerosis
Treatment with pactimibe, an inhibitor of the ACAT enzyme that esterifies cholesterol, does not limit atherosclerosis in patients with coronary disease and may actually promote atherogenesis. Findings from animal studies have suggested that inhibition of acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) may reduce atheroma formation. However, ACAT activity differs among species, so it was unclear if this beneficial effect would also be seen in humans. The results stem from a phase III study of patients with angiographically documented coronary disease. In addition to receiving standard secondary preventive therapy, including statins, the subjects were randomized to receive pactimibe or placebo. Intravascular ultrasound was performed at baseline and again 18 months later to assess atheroma progression. Changes in percent atheroma volume were similar in the pactimibe and placebo groups. However, when the normalized total atheroma volume was considered, regression was seen in the placebo group, but not in the pactimibe group. Moreover, the amount of regression in the most diseased coronary segment was significantly greater in the placebo group.

In atherosclerosis, plaque builds up on the inner walls of arteries, the blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. As the artery walls thicken, the pathway for blood narrows. This can decrease or block blood flow through the body. Plaque is formed from cholesterol, fat, calcium, and other substances in the blood. When blood cholesterol levels are high, and where there is a high inflammatory state in the blood stream, there is a greater chance that plaque will build up on the artery walls. In most people, this process begins when they are children or teenagers and worsens as they get older.

Pomegranate juice for atherosclerosis
Pomegranate juice appears to be beneficial in reducing oxidation of lipids and may reduce the risk for atherosclerosis.

Anti-oxidative effects of pomegranate juice consumption by diabetic patients on serum and on macrophages.
Atherosclerosis. 2006 Aug;187(2):363-71.
We thus conclude that pomegranate juice consumption by diabetic patients did not worsen the diabetic parameters, but rather resulted in anti-oxidative effects on serum and macrophages, which could contribute to attenuation of atherosclerosis development in these patients.

Effects of pomegranate juice consumption on myocardial perfusion in patients with coronary heart disease.
Am J Cardiol. 2005 Sep 15;96(6):810-4. Sumner MD, Elliott-Eller M, Weidner G, Daubenmier JJ, Chew MH, Marlin R, Raisin CJ, Ornish D. The Preventive Medicine Research Institute, Sausalito, California, USA.
In conclusion, daily consumption of pomegranate juice may improve stress-induced myocardial ischemia in patients who have coronary heart disease.

Pomegranate supplements are available that do not have fructose and extra calories that is present in pomegranate juice.