A clinical trial is monitoring patients diagnosed with advanced coronary atherosclerosis. The diagram below shows a cross-section comparing a healthy coronary artery with a diseased coronary artery of one of the trial participants.
Describe the physiological sequence of events by which the fatty deposit (atheroma) shown in the diseased artery can lead to a myocardial infarction (heart attack).
The trial participants are administered a daily pharmaceutical agent designed to inhibit cholesterol synthesis in the liver, reducing circulating blood cholesterol. Name this class of drug.
Apart from smoking and a high-saturated fat diet, identify one other modifiable lifestyle factor that increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, and explain its pathological effect on the body.