Like a fire alarm sending signals to evacuate a smoky building, the immune system has internal guards to help the body sense and respond to danger. However, for people with risks for heart disease, these warning signals can have a negative consequence: they can increase the size of plaque in arteries, making them narrow, and trigger inflammatory events that can cause plaque to rupture. This can set the stage for a heart attack or stroke.
This article was originally published on MedicalXpress.com
