Atherosclerosis (risk factors, pathomechanism, organ complications, prevention and treatment)

1. Big picture

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of medium and large arteries. It starts silently in the arterial wall, but clinically appears as myocardial infarction, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, aortic aneurysm, renal artery stenosis, mesenteric ischemia, or sudden death.

The examiner wants you to connect:

Risk factors → endothelial dysfunction → LDL entry/oxidation → inflammation → plaque → stenosis or rupture → organ ischemia/infarction

The most important modifiable risk factors are LDL cholesterol, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and diet.