Modern Concepts About the Pathogenesis of Atherosclerosis

Abstract

Atherosclerosis comes from the Greek word “Athero” meaning mush. Marchand coined the term “atherosclerosis” to describe the association of fatty degeneration and vascular stiffness. This is a patchy intramuscular thickening of the subintima. The earliest lesion is a fatty streak. Fatty streaks develop into fibrous plaques, and unstable plaques are responsible for various clinical manifestations. Damage to the endothelium of the arterial wall is an early pathogenetic event of atherosclerosis. The arterial wall is a dynamic regulatory system. However, damaging factors can disrupt normal homeostasis and cause the onset of atherosclerosis.