Atherosclerosis: Patient-education Videos

With rising rates of coronary artery disease, obesity, high cholesterol, and diabetes, more patients are receiving treatment for these diseases. Because atherosclerosis, “the name of the process in which deposits of fatty substances, cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium and other substances build up in the inner lining of an artery,” can contribute to a patient’s risk of stroke, heart attack, and other cardiovascular diseases, patients often have questions about how this process works. These videos can be used to help illustrate the complex process of plaque formation and the cardiovascular effects this can have on the body.

Atherosclerosis: An Overview
From Nucleus Inc, this 3D medical animation “shows the build-up of plaque within an artery, partially blocking the blood-flow. Using a view of the artery in cross-section, LDL cholesterol is showing entering the vessel wall followed by monocytes which grow into foam cells. Smooth muscle cells are shown migrating through the plaque to form a fibrous cap over the clot.”




Heart Attack Due to Atherosclerosis
Also produced by Nucleus Inc, this 3D medical animation “shows a heart attack resulting from atherosclerosis, which is inflammation of an artery. It was designed to be an immersive experience to hold the viewer's interest in this complex, slow-developing process. Every shot was conceptualized as a visual effect to evoke the sensation of a journey within a dynamic and diverse environment. Beginning with the probable cause, which is damage to the endothelial wall, the story progresses in detail through the stages of atherosclerosis concluding with the resulting damage to the heart.”




What Dose Atherosclerosis Have to Do with It?
This video from Virtual Med Student discusses the pathology and complications associated with atherosclerotic disease of the blood vessels.




Biology of the Progression of Atherosclerosis
This video is devoted to broadening patients’ understanding of the progression of early atherosclerosis.




Diabetes-related Atherosclerosis
This brief video explains the relationship between diabetes and atherosclerosis.