noun, noun-modifying (irregular)
atherosclerosis; atherosclerotic
Medical term for the hardening and narrowing of arteries due to plaque buildup. Used as a noun or prenominally.
Atherosclerosis is a disease in which cholesterol and other substances build up on artery walls.
医者は粥状硬化の進行を抑える治療を始めた。
The doctor started treatment to slow the progression of atherosclerosis.
動脈硬化 is the broader term for arteriosclerosis (hardening of arteries in general), while 粥状硬化 specifically refers to atherosclerosis caused by fatty plaques.
From 粥状 (gruel-like) + 硬化 (hardening), describing the porridge-like plaque that forms in arteries.