Atherosclerosis, the principal source of cerebral and myocardial infarction, gangrene of the
extremities, and loss of function of organs and/or tissues, causes the majority of deaths in the
United States, Europe, and Japan. 1 Throughout the years, this disease has been called a
degenerative process, a proliferative process akin to a benign tumor, and an accumulation
of lipid within the artery wall similar to the accumu-lation of sludge within a pipe. Data
accumulated in numerous laboratories worldwide have provided evidence to support a …