资料内容：
1. Introduction
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause
of cardiovascular mortality worldwide. It is caused by
atherosclerosis, a phenomenon consisting in the forma
tion of plaques that gradually narrow the diameter of the
arteries reducing the oxygen-rich blood supply to the
heart. The disruption of these plaques is the main cause
of the acute coronary syndromes (i.e., unstable angina,
myocardial infarction) (Falk et al., 1995). Although the
underlying causes for the development of atherosclero
sis are not yet fully understood, there are numerous risk
factors that can lead to accelerated plaque formation,
