Atherosclerosis vs. Arteriosclerosis: What’s the Difference?

Arteriosclerosis is a condition that occurs when arteries narrow and harden, which makes them weak. Eventually, they get so weak that they can no longer do their very important job: Circulating blood throughout your body. This narrowing of the arteries can make it hard for your organs to get the blood that they need.

Atherosclerosis is the buildup of fat, cholesterol, and other substances on your blood vessel walls. Atherosclerosis is actually a type of arteriosclerosis — the most common type — so they are often used interchangeably in discussion with your doctor about risk, says Lawrence Phillips, MD, cardiologist at NYU Langone Health.

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Written by:

Brittany Doohan

Brittany Doohan was the Content Director at HealthiNation and is currently the Editorial Director at Medscape. Through her work with Medscape, she won a Silver Telly Award in May 2022 for "Sleepless Nation: A Public Health Epidemic — Episode 2: A Decade Without a Diagnosis." She has worked in health journalism and video production for more than 8 years, and loves the challenge of explaining complex topics in an easy-to-understand and creative way.

Reviewed by:

Sanjai Sinha, MD

Sanjai Sinha, MD, is a board-certified physician with over 20 years of experience. He specializes in internal medicine.

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