[Role of biochemical risk factors and markers for the risk of atherosclerosis].

The prevalence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disorders is constantly increasing worldwide, and the aging of the population will make this trend rather unlikely to be reversed. It is a diffuse, systemic, chronic disorder that starts early in childhood and progresses asymptomatically throughout the adult life. Later in life, it is clinically manifested as coronary artery disease, stroke, transient ischemic attack and peripheral occlusive arterial disease. The notions on the pathogenesis have been almost revolutionized over the past decades and over 300 risk factors have been associated with genesis, progression and complication of this challenging disorder. Particularly, biochemical risk factors and markers play a crucial role in all steps of atherosclerosis process, and entail a great relevance in risk stratification and early prevention.