New risk factors for atherosclerosis

Abstract

Atherosclerosis is a chronic, progressing inflammatory process of the arterial wall (atherosclerotitis). Etiologic (risk) factors of development of atherosclerosis can have an endogenous and/or exogenous origin. Most people with progressing atherosclerosis are usually without the conventional risk factors (arterial hypertension, smoking, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia and others). These people have the "new" risk factor [infectious agents, homocysteine, purine metabolites, increased platelet reactivity, hypercoagulability, impaired fibrinolysis, low dense lipoproteins (LDL), lipoprotein(a) and inflammatory markers].