[Atherothrombosis: state-of-the-art review and approaches to the problem].

Acute ischemia resulting from arterial lesions poses a real threat to mankind. The concept of atherothrombosis aims to unite doctors of different specialities to combat this pathology; it suggests active exchange of experience in the management of aherothrombosis between representatives of different medical disciplines. The concept is expected to promote treatment of the patients. The common pathogenetic mechanism of ischemic disorders of the heart, brain, and lower extremities provides a basis for the recommendation of active antithrombotic therapy for their prevention. The current approach to the management of atherothrombosis is prone to further improvement despite certain reports of successful inpatient treatment of acute myocardial infarction. Prevention of blood clot formation, i.e. prophylaxis of atherosclerosis, remains a challenging problem. Statins may prove of great help in this respect. Studies of the effect of infectious factors on the integrity of the fibrous envelope of an atherosclerotic plaque are currently underway.