Atherosclerosis: from Bench to Bedside and from Pathophysiology to Treatment

Despite continuous advances in therapeutic options, cardiovascular disease is still the leading cause of death worldwide1. The WHO estimated that in 2008 17.3 million people died from cardiovascular disease, accounting for 30% of all deaths world-wide. Of these deaths, approximately 7.3 million were due to coronary heart disease while 6.2 million were due to stroke2. The number of deaths due to cardiovascular disease will increase to 23.3 million by 2030. Coronary heart disease and stroke are the result of atherosclerotic plaque formation. Atherosclerosis, or stiffening of the artery (from the Greek arteria meaning artery and sclerosis meaning stiffening), is an ongoing process which already starts in childhood3-5. A healthy artery consists of three layers.