Current Developments In Atherosclerosis Research

Atherosclerosis is a degenerative condition in which arteries build up deposits called plaques (atheromas) which consist of lipids (mainly cholesterol), connective tissue and smooth muscle cells originating from the arterial wall. Plaques develop quietly over a period of years and are unnoticeable until there is an interruption in the normal flow of blood. Plaques may partially or totally block the blood's flow through an artery. Two things that can happen where plaques occur are: bleeding (haemorrhage) into the plaque; and formation of a blood clot (thrombus) on the plaque's surface. Atherosclerosis affects large and medium-sized arteries. The type of artery and where the plaque develops varies with each person. Atherosclerosis research has witnessed startling progress in recent years, partially due to new drugs as well as to new breakthroughs in molecular medicine.

Atherosclerosis is a degenerative condition in which arteries build up deposits called plaques (atheromas) which consist of lipids (mainly cholesterol), connective tissue and smooth muscle cells originating from the arterial wall. Plaques develop quietly over a period of years and are unnoticeable until there is an interruption in the normal flow of blood. Plaques may partially or totally block the blood's flow through an artery. Two things that can happen where plaques occur are: bleeding (hemorrhage) into the plaque; and formation of a blood clot (thrombus) on the plaque's surface. Atherosclerosis affects large and medium-sized arteries. The type of artery and where the plaque develops varies with each person. Atherosclerosis research has witnessed startling progress in recent years, partially due to new drugs as well as to new breakthroughs in molecular medicine.

In 1982 Berlin was host for the second time to the International Symposium on Atherosclerosis. In 1973 the third symposium was held there, following the first in Athens -opened by the unforgettable Paul D. White -and the second in Chicago, where the great gentlemen of atherosclerosis research - Louis Katz and Irving Page - left their special imprint on the meeting. Since the third symposium in Berlin impressive advances have been made in the field of atherosclerosis. The symposia in Tokyo in 1976 and in Houston in 1979 introduced important new knowledge from current research, stimulating worldwide interest; Berlin highlighted the latest developments. The International Atherosclerosis Society (lAS) provides an international forum for the entire field of atherosclerosis research. Its main purpose is to apply the results of basic research to clinical medicine, and thereby to benefit the practitioner. Prevention and rehabilitation are of special importance. Intensified international cooperation is urgently needed at all levels. A declared goal of the lAS is contact between young investigators and between international research and work groups. Participating in the Berlin meeting were 1400 researchers from 42 nations. This illustrates the growing interest in atherosclerosis as the leading cause of death in "developed" societies. However, the incidence of atherosclerosis is increasing worldwide, although there are national differences in the pattern and appearance of the disease; this was documented at the Berlin Symposium.

Arteriosclerosis—Advances in Research and Treatment: 2013 Edition is a ScholarlyEditions™ book that delivers timely, authoritative, and comprehensive information about Atherosclerosis. The editors have built Arteriosclerosis—Advances in Research and Treatment: 2013 Edition on the vast information databases of ScholarlyNews.™ You can expect the information about Atherosclerosis in this book to be deeper than what you can access anywhere else, as well as consistently reliable, authoritative, informed, and relevant. The content of Arteriosclerosis—Advances in Research and Treatment: 2013 Edition has been produced by the world’s leading scientists, engineers, analysts, research institutions, and companies. All of the content is from peer-reviewed sources, and all of it is written, assembled, and edited by the editors at ScholarlyEditions™ and available exclusively from us. You now have a source you can cite with authority, confidence, and credibility. More information is available at http://www.ScholarlyEditions.com/.

Arteriosclerosis—Advances in Research and Treatment: 2012 Edition is a ScholarlyEditions™ eBook that delivers timely, authoritative, and comprehensive information about Arteriosclerosis. The editors have built Arteriosclerosis—Advances in Research and Treatment: 2012 Edition on the vast information databases of ScholarlyNews.™ You can expect the information about Arteriosclerosis in this eBook to be deeper than what you can access anywhere else, as well as consistently reliable, authoritative, informed, and relevant. The content of Arteriosclerosis—Advances in Research and Treatment: 2012 Edition has been produced by the world’s leading scientists, engineers, analysts, research institutions, and companies. All of the content is from peer-reviewed sources, and all of it is written, assembled, and edited by the editors at ScholarlyEditions™ and available exclusively from us. You now have a source you can cite with authority, confidence, and credibility. More information is available at http://www.ScholarlyEditions.com/.

This open access book is supported by the European Atherosclerosis Society Association (EAS). This follow-up edition of the well-received Handbook volume 'Atherosclerosis: Diet and Drugs' reflects the state-of-the-art and most recent developments in atherosclerosis research. Outstanding international experts give a comprehensive overview of the field covering topics, such as improving the treatment focusing on established targets, novel drug developments addressing pre-defined targets, hypothesis-based and hypothesis-free approaches to unravel novel targets.