The first vascular anomalies, from which the process of atherosclerosis is slowly unsaturated, can already be observed during the first year of a child's life.
Indeed, we have seen how the pathological process begins already inside the uterus; in the fetus, in fact, the first precursor lesions of the future atherosclerotic plaques (the so-called lipid striae or fatty streak) can be detected.
These lesions depend on the infiltration and deposition of fat and cholesterol in the intimate (inner layer of the wall) of the artery, which trigger an inflammatory process with recall of white blood cells (macrophages).
It has been shown that the development of lipid streaks during fetal life is aggravated by the mother's hypercholesterolemia. One more reason to scrupulously monitor your diet during pregnancy.
