Normal artery is soft with a smooth inner wall. Deposition of cholesterol inside the artery causing hardening (atherosclerosis) and narrowing of the artery resulted in restricted blood flow to the limb i.e. lower limb ischaemia (link). Blood jet through the narrowing with an increased speed in the neck artery may break off pieces of atheromatous plaque into the bloodstream. Debris flow along with blood and blocks the smaller arteries and stops the blood from supplying the cerebral tissue causing stroke. Strength of the wall of abdominal artery gradually deteriorates with atherosclerosis. Ballooning out of a weakened artery by the pressure of the blood inside the aorta results in the formation of an aneurysm

Normal Artery	Atherosclerotic Artery

Normal Artery	Atherosclerotic Artery