For much of the last century, the development of @entity4288 was regarded as an inevitable degenerative process. Osler stated: "the stability of tubing of any sort depends on the structure and on the sort of material used; and so it is with the @entity1 being. With the poor variety of elastic and muscular fibers in the blood vessels, some are unable to resist the wear and tear of daily life" [1]. Recently, thinking regarding atherogenesis has evolved from vague concepts of inevitable degeneration to a more precise sequence of molecular and cellular events. As we enhance our understanding of its fundamental mechanisms, we can begin to approach atherogenesis as a modifiable process. Eventually, mastery of the cell and molecular biologies of @entity731 may permit the development of novel strategies for mitigating this prevalent disease. Atherogenesis in @entity1 generally occurs over many years, often measured in decades. Lesion initiation may occur as early as childhood. Lesion evolution and growth varies according to heredity, gender, and well-defined risk factors. Complications of @entity1856 that usually underlie the acute manifestations of this disease may come about suddenly. Some individuals with @entity731 may never have symptoms, others may have only chronic stable manifestations, and yet others may experience fatal or life-threatening acute events without having passed through a phase of chronic symptoms. This review will consider in turn each of the three major phases in the life history of an @entity1856 . We will discuss aspects of lesion initiation, progression, and complication. Rather than attempting a comprehensive overview, we will focus primarily on selected examples where new information sheds light on potential molecular mechanisms underlying these pathologic processes.

Molecular biology of XXXX .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['human', 'humans'] @entity731 :: ('MESH:D050197', 'Disease') :: ['atherosclerosis'] @entity1856 :: ('MESH:D058226', 'Disease') :: ['atheroma'] @entity4288 :: ('MESH:D001161', 'Disease') :: ['arteriosclerosis']
@entity731 :: (MESH:D050197,Disease) :: ['atherosclerosis']
