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Historical Reflections on the Inflammatory Aspects of Atherosclerosis

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Inflammation and Atherosclerosis

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Abstract

A sudden shift in the understanding of the importance of inflammation in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis occurred around the turn of the millennium. During most of the twentieth century, atherosclerosis was considered a degenerative disease, mostly related to aging. Marking the shift, the great pathologist Russell Ross published a 1999 landmark New England Journal of Medicine paper entitled “Atherosclerosis—An inflammatory Disease” [1].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Population Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA

    F. Javier Nieto

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  1. F. Javier Nieto
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Correspondence to F. Javier Nieto .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Medical University Innsbruck, Peter-Mayr-Strasse 4 a, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria

    Georg Wick

  2. Laboratory of Autoimmunity, Division of Experimental Pathophysiology, Biocenter, Innsbruck Medical University, Schöpfstraße 41, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria

    Cecilia Grundtman

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Nieto, F.J. (2012). Historical Reflections on the Inflammatory Aspects of Atherosclerosis. In: Wick, G., Grundtman, C. (eds) Inflammation and Atherosclerosis. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-0338-8_1

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