Atherogenesis in perspective: Hypercholesterolemia and inflammation as partners in crime

A historical perspective on atherosclerosis allows us to reflect on the once controversial hypotheses in the field. Plaque formation was once thought to be dependent upon hypercholesterolemia alone, or solely in response to injury. More recently, inflammatory cascades were thought to be at the root of lesion development. A more realistic view may be that atherosclerosis is neither exclusively an inflammatory disease nor solely a lipid disorder: it is both.