ABSTRACT
Although cigarette smoke appears to be associated with atherogenesis, the details of this relationship remain incompletely defined. Cigarette smoke contains over 4000 compounds, at least 40 of which are carcinogens.1 Not surprisingly, the intersection of a complex biological chain of events with an inhalation that amounts to thousands of concurrent exposures generates many potential mechanisms of pathogenesis (Table 11.1). Given that an estimated 47 million people-one in four adults in the USA-are current smokers, the relationship between tobacco exposure and atherosclerosis has significant public health implications.
