Arterial disease can lead to heart attack, amputation, stroke or death. Risk factors for developing arterial occlusive disease include smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, poor diet (high in fat) and inactivity. Suggestions for reducing these risk factors include a healthy diet, activity and quitting smoking. Arterial occlusive disease is a disease of the vascular system that affects the arteries. This disease can affect various parts of the body and includes arterial diseases such as coronary heart disease (heart), carotid arteries (neck and brain), peripheral arterial occlusive diseases (legs, arms and head) and kidney artery disease (kidneys). Arterial diseases arise from atherosclerosis or the accumulation of plaque on the walls of the arteries. These fat deposits shrink or block the arterial canals, which leads to decreased blood flow and increases the likelihood of blood clots forming. Decreased blood flow means that the tissues and organs of the body do not receive enough oxygen, which can lead to tissue death. Arterial formation begins and ends when endothelial cells begin to express artery-specific genes such as ephrine B2. [4] Systemic blood pressures are produced by vigorous contractions of the left ventricle of the heart. High blood pressure is a factor in the development of arterial lesions. Healthy blood pressure at rest is relatively low, with an average systemic pressure generally less than 100 mmHg (1.9 psi; 13 kPa) above the surrounding atmospheric pressure (about 760 mmHg, 14.7 psi, 101 kPa at sea level). In order to resist and adapt to internal pressures, the arteries are surrounded by different thicknesses of smooth muscle, which have an extended elastic and inelastic connective tissue.

Pulse pressure, which is the difference between systolic and diastolic pressure, is mainly determined by the amount of blood expelled by each heartbeat, the volume of beating, in relation to the volume and elasticity of the main arteries. The blood in the arteries is subjected to much higher pressure than the blood carried by the veins. This is because the pumping effect of the heart «squeezes» the blood and puts it under enormous pressure. Blood pressure is particularly high in the aorta because this artery is directly connected to the heart. Arteries have several structural adaptations that help them cope with this pressure; especially their thick and muscular walls. The walls of the arteries are much thicker and more elastic than those of the veins, which do not need to be as strong or durable. This elasticity allows the walls of the arteries to swell outwards as blood passes through them and prevents them from bursting. Arteries have higher blood pressure than other parts of the circulatory system. The pressure in the arteries varies during the cardiac cycle.

It is highest when the heart contracts and lowest when the heart relaxes. The pressure fluctuation creates a pulse that can be felt in different areas of the body, such as the radial pulse. Arterioles have the greatest collective impact on local blood flow and total blood pressure. These are the main «adjustable nozzles» of the blood system through which the greatest drop in pressure occurs. The combination of cardiac output (cardiac output) and systemic vascular resistance, which refers to the collective resistance of all arterioles in the body, are the main determinants of blood pressure at a given time. A splash of blood, also known as an arterial bundle, is the effect when an artery is cut off due to higher blood pressure. Blood is injected at a fast, intermittent rate that coincides with the heart rate. The amount of blood loss can be abundant, can occur very quickly and can be life-threatening.

[6] Over time, factors such as high blood sugar (especially in diabetes mellitus), lipoproteins, cholesterol, high blood pressure, stress, and smoking are involved in damage to the endothelium and arterial walls, leading to atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a disease characterized by hardening of the arteries. This is caused by an atheroma or plaque in the arterial wall and is a collection of cellular debris containing lipids (cholesterol and fatty acids), calcium [7] [8] and a variable amount of fibrous connective tissue. The anatomy of the arteries can be divided into coarse anatomy at the macroscopic level and microanatomy, which must be examined under a microscope. The arterial system of the human body is divided into systemic arteries, which carry blood from the heart to the whole body, and pulmonary arteries, which carry oxygen-depleted blood from the heart to the lungs.