New research calls current understanding of atherosclerosis into question

US researchers have published a study into the workings of atherosclerosis that challenge fundamental beliefs about the disease.

The University of Virginia School of Medicine examined the dangerous atherosclerotic plaques that build up in arteries and cause heart attacks and strokes and found that many assumptions about the composition and formation of these plaques are mistaken.

It was thought that smooth muscle cells, which help blood vessels contract and dilate, are mostly helpful in combating atherosclerotic plaque, playing a role in sealing off the accumulating fats, dying cells and other harmful components.

However, the new study revealed that the number of smooth muscle cells inside these plaques has been misjudged, with as much as 82 percent of them going undetected with typical methods. 

This suggests the cells are not just involved in forming a barrier but instead contribute to the plaque itself. It also indicates that therapies targeted at controlling the properties of smooth muscle cells within lesions may be highly effective in treating the disease.

Dr Gary Owens of the University of Virginia's Robert M Berne Cardiovascular Research Center said: "The leading cause of death worldwide is complications of atherosclerosis, and the most common end-stage disease is when an atherosclerotic plaque ruptures. If this occurs in one of your large coronary arteries, it's a catastrophic event."