Atherothrombotic diseases are a major healthcare dilemma and contribute to more that 25% of all deaths worldwide.Recent WHO reports indicate that the disease affect developing and developed countries making atherothrombotic diseases a global challenge.
Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory process of the arterial wall which involves an imbalanced lipid metabolism and a maladaptive immune response.
The abnormal process of lipid accumulation, immune responses and their clearance is controlled by leukocytes and homeostasis which act in response to chemokines.
Atherogenesis is the developmental process of atheromatous plaques. It is characterized by a remodeling of arteries involving the concomitant accumulation of fatty substances called plaques. One recent theory suggests that for unknown reasons, leukocytes such as monocytes or basophils begin to attack the endothelium of the artery lumen in cardiac muscle. The ensuing inflammation leads to formation of  atheromatous plaques in the arterial tunica intima, a region of the vessel wall located between the endothelium and the tunica media and tunica adventitia. The bulk of these lesions are made of excess fat, collagen, and elastin. Initially, as the plaques grow only wall thickening occurs without any narrowing, stenosis of the artery opening, called the lumen; stenosis is a late event which may never occur and is often the result of repeated plaque rupture and healing responses, not the just atherosclerosis process by itself.
Atherosclerosis pathophysiology
Hypolipoproteinemia pathophysiology
Angiodysplasia pathophysiology
Varicose veins pathophysiology
Thrombosis pathophysiology
Low cholesterol causes
Atherosclerosis causes
Angiodysplasia risk factors