Nicotine

Smoking 16: Atherosclerosis – Fat accumulation

The LDL can accumulate in blood vessel walls and change there into a harmful substance.

This draws white blood cells known as macrophages out of the blood and into the vessel wall. There they absorb additional LDL, thus causing more fat to deposit itself in the vessel wall.

The macrophages transform into fat-laden cells known as foam cells (the high amount of fat makes them look ‘foamy’).

This will attract more white blood cells. These will also absorb fat, and this forms the basis for atherosclerosis. The process resembles an inflammatory reaction.