Correlation between Coronary Artery Disease with Other Arterial Systems: Similar, Albeit Separate, Underlying Pathophysiologic Mechanisms

Abstract

Atherosclerosis is a multifactorial systemic disease that affects the entire arterial tree, although some areas are more prone to lipid deposits than others. Moreover, the histopathological composition of the plaques differs, and the clinical manifestations are also different, depending on the location and structure of the atherosclerotic plaque. Some arterial systems are correlated with each other more than in that they simply share a common atherosclerotic risk. The aim of this perspective review is to discuss this heterogeneity of atherosclerotic impairment in different arterial districts and to investigate the current evidence that resulted from studies of the topographical interrelations of atherosclerosis.

Keywords

• coronary artery disease
• atherosclerosis
• carotid artery disease
• peripheral artery disease
• arterial tree
• vulnerable plaque