动脉粥样硬化是动脉壁发生了非炎症性、退行性和增生性病变，内膜细胞内外脂质聚积，导致管壁增厚变硬，失去弹性和管腔缩小。特征性病理改变为内膜粥样斑块形成及动脉壁硬化。病变主要累及体循环系统的大型弹力型动脉和中型肌弹力型动脉，以冠状动脉、脑动脉及主动脉罹患最多 Atherosclerosis is a noninflammatory, degenerative and proliferative disease in the arterial wall. Accumulation of lipid inside and outside of the intima cells results in thickening of the wall, loss of elasticity and lumen shrinkage. The characteristic pathological changes are the formation of intima plaque and arterial wall sclerosis. Lesions mainly involving the systemic circulatory system of large elastic artery and middle muscular elastic artery, coronary artery, cerebral artery and aorta suffer the most