Atherosclerosis plays a significant role in developing coronary artery disease (CAD), peripheral artery disease (PAD), and cerebrovascular disease. Atherosclerotic plaque rupture provokes atherothrombosis, and subsequent vascular occlusion leads to myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and limb ischemia. Both CAD and PAD share common pathophysiology and risk factors such as hypertension, smoking, dyslipidemia, and diabetes. Atherosclerosis is a diffuse process, and the presence of disease in multiple vascular regions is associated with a worse prognosis.
