within the necrotic core of atherosclerotic plaques. With “plaque rupture” or “plaque erosion,” the thin fibrous cap covering the plaque is disrupted or ulcerated. This exposes the blood ...

Atherosclerosis is a systemic disease affecting all vascular beds. The atherosclerotic plaque, as a first manifestation of the disease, involves a complex pathophysiological mechanism that is ...

with a correspondingly thin fibrous cap — a vulnerable plaque prone to rupture and thrombosis. Atherosclerotic plaques typically progress to the advancing atheroma stage at age 55 years to 65 years.

In order to detect a vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque that is more likely to cause cardiovascular events, one should focus on studying biomarkers more associated with destabilization rather than ...