Atherosclerosis: a life changing phenomenon

Abstract

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease. Because high plasma concentrations of cholesterol, in particular those of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, are one of the principal risk factors for atherosclerosis, the process of atherogenesis has been considered by many to consist largely of the accumulation of lipids within the artery wall; however, it is much more than that.  The lesions of atherosclerosis occur principally in large and medium-sized elastic and muscular arteries and can lead to ischemia of the heart, brain, or extremities, resulting in infarction. They may be present throughout a person’s lifetime. Among patients with established cardiovascular disease, mortality is lower among those who participate in an exercise program than among those who do not. Furthermore, recent studies have reported positive lipid-lowering effects from estrogen and/or progestogen in postmenopausal women but there are still conflicting reports on the use of these agents in dyslipidaemia and in females at risk for CHD. In addition to lowering lipid levels, these antihyperlipidaemic The new therapeutic options available to clinicians treating dyslipidaemia in the last decade have enabled effective treatment for many atherosclerotic process.