Via practica 2/2009

Etiopathogenesis of atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis, with its complications, is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease mortality and morbidity. The rising tide of cardiovascular disease continues due to a large increase in the prevalence of both obesity and diabetes mellitus type 2 (diabesity). The consequences of atherosclerosis are also beginning to be felt in less well-developed regions of the globe, with death from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease set to replace infection as the leading cause of death in the Third World in the near future. Traditionally, atherosclerosis has been viewed as a degenerative disease, affecting predominantly older people, slowly progressing over many years, and eventually leading to symptoms through mechanical effects on blood flow. In present evidence have shown that, rather than being an irreversibly progressive disease, atherosclerosis is a dynamic, multifactorial process that can be influenced by both non-pharmacological and pharmacological therapy.

Keywords: atherosclerosis, etiopathogenesis, theories of atherogenesis, endothelial dysfunction, stable and vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque