According to researchers, pain after eating may mean fatty deposits in the arteries, and that could mean heart problems too. When you think about atherosclerosis, you most likely assume it's related to heart problems where fatty plaque restrict the blood flow to the heart. But atherosclerosis can affect arteries elsewhere in the body and, when it does, it should be a wake-up call to the risk of heart disease.
According to doctors, they point out that atherosclerosis can affect the mesenteric artery in the gut. Known as chronic mesenteric ischemia, this results in pain after eating because of a reduction in the flow of blood to the digestive system. People who are affected start to avoid eating because of the pain involved and may lose weight.The condition can be treated in much the same way as atherosclerosis in the arteries serving the heart that is, with bypass surgery or with angioplasty, which involves insertion of a balloon-tipped catheter which widens the artery. In fact, mesenteric ischemia should alert those who suffer from it to more serious problems elsewhere namely in the coronary arteries.
