Recent experimental and clinical data show that cardiac diseases cannot be seen completely apart from the vascular system. The heart and the vascular system are connected by a mutual process of regulation and also pathophysiology. If one system fals the other will be affected as well earlier or later. We know from large experimental studies, analyses from animal models, epidemiologic studies as well as clinical trials that atherosclerosis is a local unspecific inflammatory process which is accompanied by systemic reactions and finally also involves the heart itself. The causes are the coworking of numerous local and systemic atherothrombogenic factors. The same is valid for disturbances of hemostaseology because of their direct effect on thrombogenesis and therefore on myocardial infarction and indirectly on atherosclerotic processes.
