Abstract
Endothelial dysfunction is an integral part of atherosclerosis and leads to a chronic
inflammatory process within the atheromatous plaque. Measurements of inflammatory
markers, particularly high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), can predict future
cardiovascular events in the apparently healthy population and in the cardiovascular
patient irrespective of lipid levels. Also, an elevated hs-CRP was a predictor of
adverse events in patients undergoing revascularization and in unstable coronary patients.
The inflammatory response seems to be independent of the extent of the atherosclerotic
burden and might reflect a vascular hyperresponsive state to injury that varies among
individuals and could be partly genetically predetermined. Inflammatory markers are
currently being incorporated in predictor models of cardiovascular risk and in the
stratification of responders to therapy.
