Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "atherogenesis" ita ce tsarin samuwa da haɓakar atherosclerotic plaques, wanda shine ma'auni mai yawa wanda zai iya tarawa a cikin bangon arteries kuma yana taimakawa wajen bunkasa cututtukan zuciya. Wannan tsari ya ƙunshi hadaddun hulɗar abubuwa daban-daban na salon salula da kwayoyin halitta, gami da tarin cholesterol da sauran lipids, kumburi, da kunna sel kamar ƙwayoyin tsoka mai santsi da ƙwayoyin rigakafi. Atherogenesis shine maɓalli mai mahimmanci a cikin haɓaka nau'ikan cututtukan zuciya daban-daban, gami da bugun zuciya, bugun jini, da cututtukan jijiyoyin jijiya.