arteriosclerosis

American  

[ahr-teer-ee-oh-skluh-roh-sis] / ɑrˌtɪər i oʊ skləˈroʊ sɪs /

noun

1. degenerative changes in the arteries, characterized by thickening of the vessel walls and accumulation of calcium with consequent loss of elasticity and lessened blood flow.

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arteriosclerosis British  

/ ɑːˌtɪərɪəʊsklɪəˈrɒtɪk, ɑːˌtɪərɪəʊsklɪəˈrəʊsɪs /

noun

1. Nontechnical name: hardening of the arteries.  a pathological condition of the circulatory system characterized by thickening and loss of elasticity of the arterial walls

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arteriosclerosis Scientific  

/ är-tîr′ē-ō-sklə-rō′sĭs /

1. A thickening, hardening, and loss of elasticity of the arterial walls that results in impaired blood circulation.

2. See also atherosclerosis

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arteriosclerosis Cultural  

1. A disease commonly called hardening of the arteries. In arteriosclerosis, the walls of the arteries thicken and harden. The loss of flexibility results in a lessening of the flow of blood to the various organs of the body. (Compare atherosclerosis; see circulatory system.)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• arteriosclerotic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of arteriosclerosis

1885–90; < New Latin. See arterio-, sclerosis

Compare meaning

How does arteriosclerosis compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• atherosclerosis vs. arteriosclerosis

Example Sentences

The condition is closely linked to systemic diseases such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, arteriosclerosis, and kidney disease.

From Science Daily • Oct. 26, 2025

Mr. Formell, she said, had hypertension and arteriosclerosis.

From New York Times • May 30, 2023

According to his death certificate, my Great-Grandfather Reak's cause of death was "arteriosclerotic heart disease due to generalized and coronary arteriosclerosis."

From Salon • Jan. 15, 2023

The Mayo Clinic classifies arteriosclerosis as a condition that occurs when arteries become thick and stiff — sometimes restricting blood flow to the organs and tissues.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 30, 2022

Hypertension must still be reckoned with in the etiology of arteriosclerosis although the r�le that it was thought to play does not seem so important.

From Arteriosclerosis and Hypertension: with Chapters on Blood Pressure, 3rd Edition. by Warfield, Louis Marshall