ABSTRACT
The following section briefly overviews the pathogenesis of the atherosclerotic process, which is required to give the proper background to place nutraceutical effects in context.
Atherosclerosis, which encompasses coronary, cerebrovascular, and peripheral arterial disease, is responsible for the majority of cases of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in both developing and developed countries. Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease that involves the arterial wall and is characterized by the progressive accumulation of lipids and macrophages/lymphocytes within the intima of large arteries.1-3 The first step is the internalization of lipids (low-density lipoproteins [LDLs]) in the intima with endothelial activation/dysfunction, which leads to enhance the permeability of the endothelial layer and increase the expression of cytokines/chemokines and adhesion molecules.
