Coronary Atherosclerosis: Pathophysiologic Basis for Diagnosis and Management

Coronary atherosclerosis is a long lasting and continuously evolving disease with multiple clinical manifestations ranging from asymptomatic to stable angina, acute coronary syndrome (ACS), heart failure (HF) and sudden cardiac death (SCD). Genetic and environmental factors contribute to the development and progression of coronary atherosclerosis. In this review, current knowledge related to the diagnosis and management of coronary atherosclerosis based on pathophysiologic mechanisms will be discussed. In addition to providing state-of-the-art concepts related to coronary atherosclerosis, special consideration will be given on how to apply data from epidemiologic studies and randomized clinical trials to the individual patient. The greatest challenge for the clinician in the twenty-first century is not in absorbing the fast accumulating new knowledge, but rather in applying this knowledge to the individual patient.