The sedimentation accumulating in coronary artery walls is not inert. This sedimentation, called plaque, involves a complex process in which lipids accumulate under the interior lining of the coronary arteries. These lipids initiate a cascade of inflammation and cellular proliferation.
Atherosclerosis is a chronic, progressive disease. Atherosclerotic lesions may be localized or diffuse throughout significant segments of coronary arteries. Treatment of the disease greatly depends on the character and spread of the atherosclerotic lesions.
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