Ray Liotta had ‘silent killer condition suffered by HALF of Americans over 45

Ray Liotta was suffering from damaged arteries when he died last May – a very common but deadly condition.

Medical records show the Goodfellas star, 67, died in his sleep last year from a combination of heart failure, respiratory failure and fluid buildup in his lungs while filming a movie in the Dominican Republic.

Each of these complications could be caused by the other condition he suffered from, arteriosclerosis. This happens when arteries responsible for transporting blood from the heart to the rest of the body become damaged.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) warns that half of Americans ages 44 to 85 suffer from the condition, many of whom don’t even know it.

It denies other organs vital oxygen and causes dangerous blood bottlenecks, which can lead to clotting or accumulation in the lungs, called pulmonary edema.

Atherosclerosis is caused by a deadly plaque buildup in a person’s arteries. There are five types, including coronary heart disease – the leading killer of Americans

“Atherosclerosis develops slowly when cholesterol, fat, blood cells, and other substances in your blood form plaque,” writes the NHLBI, a part of the National Institutes of Health.

“When the plaque builds up, it causes your arteries to narrow. This reduces the supply of oxygen-rich blood to tissues of vital organs in the body.’

This type of buildup is common in people who suffer from health problems that affect circulation, such as high blood pressure, blood sugar, or cholesterol.

Smoking and obesity are also known risk factors. Mr Liotta was known to smoke for much of his life before quitting in 2018.

People with atherosclerosis have a 250 percent higher risk of dying from heart failure than their peers.

Acute heart failure occurs when the heart cannot distribute oxygen throughout the body.

While the heart is still beating, the buildup in the arteries prevents oxygen from reaching the vital organs. Sufferers can die within minutes without medical attention.

Poor blood supply to the lungs can impair the organs’ ability to collect oxygen.

This can lead to respiratory failure – when the lungs can no longer breathe. In a 2020 study80 percent of patients with some form of atherosclerosis suffered from respiratory failure.

Blockages of blood circulation can also cause the fluid to become trapped in the lungs and unable to circulate back to the heart.

Blood that cannot escape begins to accumulate in the alveoli, air sacs in the lung responsible for collecting oxygen and distributing it to the bloodstream.

This leads to a buildup of fluid in the lungs, called pulmonary edema. About 1 million Americans suffer from the condition each year, almost always accompanied by a case of heart failure.

This further reduces the body’s ability to collect air and can often lead to death.

There are several forms of atherosclerosis.

The most common is coronary artery disease, when plaque builds up in the arteries around the heart.

Coronary artery disease alone is responsible for 610,000 deaths in the US each year, making it the leading killer of Americans.

It remained in first place even during the Covid pandemic.

Peripheral artery disease occurs when plaque buildup in the legs, arms, or pelvis restricts blood flow.

Many people who suffer from this condition require amputation, as the severely restricted blood flow causes problems for a person’s limbs.

Other types include carotid artery disease – buildup in the neck arteries, renal artery stenosis – clogged arteries responsible for supplying blood to the kidneys, and vertebral artery disease – which affects the arteries in the brain.