Introduction:

Atherosclerosis is a disease that is among the top three basic causes of death worldwide. It is currently associated with multiple risk factors, including smoking, which in turn is a contributing factor to the development of ischemic heart disease.

Objective:

To characterize pathomorphologically the atherosclerotic lesion of the aorta and coronary arteries and its relationship with smoking in autopsied deceased.

Methods:

An observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out; 431 deceased patients with clinical autopsies were studied, of which their coronary arteries and aorta were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed using the atherometric system.

Results:

There were higher values ​​of atherosclerotic lesions in the group of smokers with myocardial infarction, therefore the obstruction (Ω) and stenosis (P) indices also had higher values. They had an endarterial surface more affected by fibrous and severe plaques, the anterior descending artery and the abdominal aorta.

Conclusions:

Smoking has a direct association with the atherosclerotic process, it is expressed by higher values ​​of the lesions in identified smokers, both in the aortic and coronary sectors, in addition, greater susceptibility of the descending and abdominal aorta to damage is identified atherosclerotic.

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