[Atherothrombosis : Novel therapeutic strategies].

Despite intensive scientific research over the past decades, atherosclerosis and atherothrombosis are the leading cause of mortality worldwide. During the recent past it has become clear that atherosclerosis is not merely a lipid-driven disease but a multifactorial process involving chronic inflammation of large arteries. This review article briefly outlines the mechanistic nature of atherosclerosis, presents a synopsis of the current state of the art treatment strategies and finally outlines several therapeutic options, which are in clinical and experimental testing.