Plural of atherosclerosis; progressive diseases in which arteries harden and narrow due to fatty deposits and inflammation.
From Greek 'athero-' (gruel) + 'sclerosis' (hardening). The term was formally established in the 1900s when scientists understood both the fatty deposits and the hardening process occurring together.
Atherosclerosis literally means 'gruel-hardening'—as if your arteries are turning into concrete-filled porridge. It's one of the most poetic disease names describing one of our biggest killers!
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