Atherosclerosis is considered a chronic inflammatory disease of arteries associated with the aging process. Many risk factors have been identified and they are mainly related to life-styles, gene-environment interactions and socioeconomic status. Carotid and coronary artery diseases are the two major atherosclerotic conditions, being the primary cause of stroke and heart attack, respectively. Nevertheless, carotid plaque assumes particular aspects not only for the specific molecular mechanisms, but also for the types of atheroma which may be associated with a better or a worst prognosis. The identification of circulating blood biomarkers able to distinguish carotid plaque types (stable or vulnerable) is a crucial step for the improvement of adequate therapeutic approaches avoiding or delaying endarterectomy in the oldest old individuals (> 80 years), a population predicted to growth in the next years. The review highlights the most recent knowledge on carotid plaque molecular mechanisms, focusing on microRNAs (miRs), as a site-specific accelerated aging within the conceptual framework of Geroscience for new affordable therapies.

动脉粥样硬化被认为​​是与衰老过程相关的慢性动脉炎性疾病。已经确定了许多危险因素，它们主要与生活方式，基因-环境相互作用和社会经济地位有关。颈动脉疾病和冠状动脉疾病是两种主要的动脉粥样硬化疾病，分别是中风和心脏病发作的主要原因。尽管如此，颈动脉斑块不仅针对特定的分子机制，而且针对可能与更好或最坏的预后相关的动脉粥样硬化类型也具有特定方面。识别能够区分颈动脉斑块类型（稳定或脆弱）的循环血液生物标志物是改进适当治疗方法的关键步骤，以避免或延迟最老的老年人进行内膜切除术（> 80年），预计未来几年人口将增长。这篇综述着重介绍了关于颈动脉斑块分子机制的最新知识，重点是microRNA（miRs），这是在Geroscience概念框架内针对新的负担得起的治疗方法的特定部位加速衰老。