Overall, how does atherosclerosis effect the human body?

Blood flow patterns and flow related stresses through the cardiovascular tree contribute to the pathogenesis of a number of disorders and the characterisation of health risks. Complex flows present in arteries are considered to be one of the primary factors involved in the initiation and propagation of atherosclerosis and arterial stenosis. The nature of blood flow development in the cardiovascular system is affected by the complex three-dimensional geometry of the arteries or vessels and the circular twisting motion that the heart undergoes during the ejection phase of the cardiac circle (Shipkowitz, 2000). Computational fluid dynamic studies in the aortic arch have reported the presence of a strong secondary flow superimposed over the primary axial flow and a helical flow throughout the cardiac circle as far downstream as the renal arteries (Frazin, 1990; Shipkovitz, 2000). Such complex flow patterns present in human arterial systems and the impact of external factors such as smoking and food diet that affect the physiological reactions of the cardiovascular system are thought to play an important role in the initiation and propagation of a series of clinical disorders.

Some of them are listed below:

* Coronary artery disease -- the blood supply to the heart is insufficient due to atherosclerosis/plaque in the arteries to the heart; a symptom is angina (chest pain)
* Heart attack (myocardial infarction)
* Transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke
* Insufficient blood supply to the limbs (mainly the legs and feet) due to obstruction (claudication)
* Damage to organs
* Atherosclerosis and obstruction of bypass grafts

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the arterial blood vessel. It is commonly referred to as a "hardening" or "furring" of the arteries. It is caused by the formation of multiple plaques within the arteries.....is the result of collagen deposition, but also muscle wall thickening and deposition of protein ("hyaline").
lead to plaque ruptures and stenosis (narrowing) of the artery and, therefore, an insufficient blood supply to the organ it feeds. Alternatively, if the compensating artery enlargement process is excessive, then a net aneurysm results.Most commonly, soft plaque suddenly ruptures (see vulnerable plaque), causing the formation of a thrombus that will rapidly slow or stop blood flow, e.g. 5 minutes, leading to death of the tissues fed by the artery.

It "affects" the human body by parcially or totally depriving a part of it of blood...therefore the organ cannot receive enough oxygen, nutrients, and a way out for toxic deposition.