ABSTRACT
Despite increasing information on preventive measures, cardiovascular disease continues to be the leading cause of mortality in many countries, accounting for 16.7 million deaths worldwide each year (Dahlof, 2010; Lloyd-Jones, 2010). Coronary artery disease (CAD) and stroke are the most common forms of cardiovascular disease. The underlying pathological process is atherosclerosis, a chronic immunoinŽammatory disease of blood vessels (Libby et al., 2011; Yla-Herttuala et al., 2011). Smoking, a cholesterol-rich diet, and lifestyle with little physical activity promote the disease. The current high morbidity and mortality in concert with increasing age of the population require the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to treat early subclinical disease stages.
