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. 2023 Jun 5;10:1205475. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1205475

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© 2023 Masenga and Kirabo.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

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Atherosclerosis progression in coronary artery disease. (A) Coronary artery disease is characterized by narrowed coronary arteries due to advanced atherosclerotic fatty plaque. (B) Atherosclerosis in coronary artery disease and complications. Atherosclerosis is initiated by fatty streak and macrophage infiltration to rid of cholesterol deposits in the coronary arteries. Macrophages that have engulfed cholesterol deposits transform into lipid laden foam cells, enter the subendothelial layer and also activate the immune system leading to inflammation. Increased deposition of fat, calcium and persistent inflammation leads to formation of fibrotic and calcic changes that can result in plaque rupture, thrombosis and blockage of blood flow in the vasculature. The resulting complications of advanced atherosclerotic lesions include myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation and left ventricular hypertrophy among others. Activated macrophages and T cells are the main players.