Inflammation and autoimmunity in atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a process whose onset can be observed even in the foetal period. A number of risk factors, such as hyperlipidaemia, hyperhomocysteinaemia, arterial hypertension, hyperuricaemia, smoking, metabolic syndrome, hypertriglyceridaemia, and diabetes, accelerate the progression of atherosclerotic lesions leading to the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) [1]. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is defined as coronary artery disease (CAD), cerebrovascular disease, or peripheral arterial disease of atherosclerotic origin. This disease represents the number one cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The number of patients with cardiovascular diseases in the world in 2019 was 523 million, while the number of deaths due to them reached 18.6 million [2].