Atherosclerosis: Biological and pathological basis

Abstract

Atherosclerosis is a extremely complicated and still well not perfectly understood pathologic process that involves the arteries of the human body. It is a multi-step process that starts with the endothelial damage and can be influenced by many factors, modifiable or not. The definition of the grade of stenosis determined by an atherosclerotic plaque and the identification of vulnerable plaques are the main goals for diagnosis, staging and therapies.