The clinical manifestations of atherosclerosis develop late into the pathological process and have serious consequences. It is relatively straightforward to diagnose late disease. However, to diagnose early and prevent progression to later stages is problematic, requires advanced imaging and laboratory techniques in appropriately selected medium or high risk patients. There is some endorsement of such diagnostic testing by professional societies that has not been adopted widely due complexities in choosing the right patients to test and resistance from payers.

The management of atherosclerotic disease can be medical including therapeutic life style changes or surgical. Management of dyslipidemia, hypertension, and tobacco cessation are the essential components for better outcomes. The translation of clinical studies to daily practice and the adoption of national and international guidelines by practitioners and institutes have been less than desirable, even wasteful. This stems mostly from the lack of interface between ever growing and changing vast medical literature and the individual patient profile.