| Abstract [eng] |
Despite medical advances, the global burden of cardiovascular disease remains high, with patients becoming younger and current treatments failing to fully mitigate residual risks. This has intensified the search for more advanced diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, particularly biochemical markers directly linked to atherosclerosis. Aim: To review the early biochemical markers of atherosclerosis and their role in the etiopathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. Objectives: 1) To analyze recent scientific articles and studies dealing with specific biochemical markers related to the early detection of atherosclerosis. 2) Evaluate the role of lipid, inflammatory, thrombotic, oxidative stress markers and microRNAs in the etiopathogenesis of cardiovascular disease and their potential application in clinical practice. Methods: A literature review was performed using PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar databases. The following keywords and their combinations were used in the search: biochemical marker, biomarker, lipoprotein, cytokine, c-reactive protein, cell adhesion molecule, fibrinogen, homocysteine, oxidative stress marker, microRNA, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, etiology, pathogenesis. The search included full-text articles published in English between 2019 and 2025 that were relevant to the topic. Results and Conclusions: Considering atherosclerosis as a chronic inflammatory disease, systemic inflammatory markers such as IL-6 and MCP-1 gain particular importance, as their causal relationship with cardiovascular diseases has been confirmed by Mendelian randomization studies. The traditional lipid profile has been extended to include genetically determined Lp(a), apolipoproteins, and their ratio, providing a more comprehensive evaluation of lipid metabolism. It has been found that ApoB/A1, OxMTL, Lp-PLA2, and MPO correlate with unstable atherosclerotic plaques, thus having the potential to become prognostic markers that can help differentiate high-risk patients. The concentration of M-CSF, fibrinogen, and MPV in the blood significantly increases in cases of acute coronary syndrome, while homocysteine is an important marker for assessing the risk of peripheral artery disease, atrial fibrillation, and the degree of arterial stenosis. Clinical studies consistently show that miRNA are reliable circulating biomarkers for cardiovascular diseases, as their expression changes with the progression of coronary heart disease, heart failure, and the manifestation of acute coronary syndrome. Given the importance of biochemical markers in the diagnosis and treatment optimization of cardiovascular diseases, further research is needed to standardize their clinical application. |
