Atherosclerosis: Understanding Pathogenesis and Challenge for Treatment

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects medium and large-sized arteries. It begins after birth and the progression depends on several factors – traditional triad: hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diabetes mellitus, then age, sex, smoking and sedentary life-style. At the beginning atherosclerosis is asymptomatic and we cannot estimate appropriately its frequency, but its complications – coronary artery diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, peripheral arterial diseases, which occur late, are responsible for more than half of the yearly mortality in the world. Unfortunately, sudden cardiac death may be the first clinical manifestation.