Background

Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a cardiovascular disease where arteries are occluded due to the enlargement of their walls and subsequent reduction of the internal diameter. This disease has been recently identified to be one of the major causes of death. Only in the United States, it is estimated that approximately 36.3% of annual deaths are caused by this condition, whereas in Mexico, atherosclerosis is now considered the first cause of death.8 Even though atherosclerosis isn’t itself mortal, it has been identified as a condition which enhances other health problems such as cardiac arrest, myocardial stroke or even sudden death. The biochemical development of atherosclerosis is complex and involves a variety of factors like hypercholesterolemia, smoking, obesity, diabetes miellitus or even hereditary factors. One of the most accepted theories explaining its origin suggests that it is triggered by the chemical modifications of Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL), which are susceptible to oxdiations; it is believed that these oxidized products accumulate on the artery walls (tunica intima), generating an inflammatory process that will ultimately cause the development of atheroma plaques. “LDLs must be oxidized before being internalized by the macrophages; these cells are then transformed into foam cells, which form the atheroma plaque”7. This hypothesis will be analyzed, and is the basis of the current project.