Atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases are the major cause of mortality for both men and women in the industrial as well as the developing world, with the majority of deaths occurring in developing countries [1,2]. In addition, diseases due to atherosclerosis such as coronary artery disease (CAD) causing coronary heart disease (CHD), cerebrovascular diseases and peripheral vascular diseases which here are called clinical atherosclerosis, cause considerable morbidity and disability. The major manifestations of clinical atherosclerosis are listed in Figure 1.1.