Immunometabolic stress and herbal medicines in atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a widespread illness that gravely endangers human health and is the fundamental pathological foundation of many cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The absorption and storage of oxidatively modified LDL by certain specofoc cells in immune cells, such as macrophages, causes varieties of immunooxidative processes. These processes of stress lead to plaque rupture through inflammatory processes, and then drives the development of atherosclerotic lesions. Now, the medications for the treatment of atherosclerosis are mostly lipid-lowering, anticoagulant, and thrombolytic agents, but the therapeutic outcomes are insufficient. It is determined that traditional Chinese medicine has achieved good clinical efficacy in treating atherosclerotic illnesses. However, the mechanism of TCM therapy for atherosclerosis needs to be elucidated. This paper highlights the target mechanism and structural features of traditional Chinese medicine components and compounds in controlling the connections mentioned above and then regulating atherosclerosis, hoping to propose novel techniques for treating and preventing the disease.