Arterial plaque builds layer by layer inside blood vessels long before a person feels anything unusual. It begins when cholesterol, fats, and inflammatory cells settle into the inner lining of an artery. These substances slowly harden and thicken, turning a smooth vessel wall into a narrow and stiff passage. The danger is that this entire process happens quietly. There is no pain and no clear signal that the arteries are losing their natural flexibility. As plaque continues to grow the space for