July 2014 Br J Cardiol 2014;21:108–12 doi:10.5837/bjc.2014.023
Alan Begg, Iain Findlay
Introduction Atherosclerosis is a systemic disease of the large- and medium-sized muscular arteries, which is characterised by endothelial dysfunction, vascular inflammation, and the build up of lipids, cholesterol, calcium, and cellular debris within the intima of the vessel wall. This build up results in plaque formation, vascular remodelling, acute and chronic luminal obstruction, abnormalities of blood flow and diminished oxygen supply to target organs.1 Plaque rupture and thrombosis result in the acute clinical complications of atherosclerosis. The process of atherosclerosis begins early in life and progresses over many decades. Rupture
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