The Role of Inflammation in Atherosclerosis

The evolving literature clearly indicates that atherosclerosis represents a chronic inflammatory process that increases the risk for intraluminal thrombosis and incidence of ischemic stroke and heart attack. The understanding of the immune system’s role in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis will help to modify our utilization of medications that minimize the influence of the inflammatory character of the plaque and potentially reduce the risk of plaque destabilization and thromboembolic events. Recognition of biological markers and susceptibility genes will further improve the ability to predict the at-risk population and target susceptible patient populations to early interventional therapeutic modalities.