Vascular disease is caused by inflammation and weakness of the veins and arteries – and by the buildup of fatty deposits in the blood vessels.

The most common vascular disease which needs to be treated are:

• Bulge or “ballooning” in the wall of an artery or blockage of the artery
• Plaque (fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood) builds up inside the arteries.
• Blood clots including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism
• The disorder that causes the blood vessels to narrow when you are cold or feeling stressed
• Swollen, twisted veins that you can see just under the skin
• Inflammation of the blood vessels

• The causes of vascular diseases depend on the specific disease. These causes include
• Genetics
• Infection
• Injury
• Medicines, including hormones
• Age – the risk of some diseases rises as you get older
• Conditions such as diabetes or high cholesterol affect blood and heart vessels
• Family history of vascular or heart diseases
• Infection or injury that damages your veins
• Lack of exercise
• Obesity
• Pregnancy
• Sitting or standing still for long periods of time
• Smoking and sometimes the cause is not known.

There are steps you can take to help prevent vascular diseases:

• Make healthy lifestyle changes, such as eating a heart-healthy diet and regular physical activity.
• For adults, at least have 7 hours of sleep every night regularly.
• If you’re a smoker, quit smoking.
• Keep your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol in check and control.
• Try not to sit or stand for up long periods of time. If you do need to sit all day, get up and move around every hour or so.