ABSTRACT

Cardiovascular (CV) disease is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, especially in industrialized and developing countries. Amongst the various causes of CV diseases, atherosclerosis is the most prevalent pathology. Atherosclerosis affects all vascular beds of the body and can manifest as cardiac, cerebral, visceral, or peripheral vascular diseases. Atherosclerosis is a chronic infl ammation affecting the vascular wall, leading through a multistep process to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques (Libby et al. 2009).