Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2: Antioxidant and inflammatory role

During recent decades, cardiovascular diseases have been one of the leading noncommunicable diseases risking many lives. The current understanding of these diseases and the available lines of treatment are insufficient, and many lives are lost to cardiovascular events. The focus must be shifted, primarily, to preventing disease and to the identification of patients with higher risk. Recent studies have shifted the understanding of atherosclerosis from mere stenosis of the artery to a more metabolically active process. Lp-PLA2 has been studied in the last few decades and has been found to be associated with atherosclerotic plaque. Its dual role, as an antiinflammatory and proatherogenic enzyme, has been reviewed, and it is considered to be a new biomarker for inflammation and a potential biomarker for fragile plaques, which may help in identifying high-risk individuals. This chapter briefly reviews the evidence supporting the abovementioned role and new therapeutic approaches including inhibitors of Lp-PLA2.