Is atherosclerosis an infectious disease?

Abstract

Atherosclerotic coronary artery disease is multifactorial, but several lines of evidence implicate infection as a potential contributing factor. Chlamydia pneumoniae has the most compelling data, with Helicobacter pylori and cytomegalovirus also implicated. Clinical trials of antibiotics to decrease coronary events are underway. Until the results are available, however, we advise against prescribing antibiotics for this purpose.