Atherosclerosis and inflammation. New therapeutic approaches.

The recognition of atherogenesis as an active process rather than a passive cholesterol storage disease has underlined key inflammatory mechanisms. Hence, innate and adaptive immune responses play an important role in the onset and progression of atherosclerosis. More recently, some clinical studies were designed to address the impact of anti-inflammatory intervention strategies in reducing risk of cardiovascular disease beyond the management of classic risk factors. Therefore, we review first the pathophysiological contribution of inflammation to atherosclerosis and the effect of lipid-lowering drugs on inflammatory biomarkers. Next, we address the effect of classic anti-inflammatory drugs, pharmacological therapies targeting specific inflammatory mediators and vaccines in cardiovascular prevention.