Atherosclerosis is the principal underlying cause of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease in people of the Western world. Cigarette smoking has been implicated in both the initiation and exacerbation of the atherosclerotic process. Data to support this implication derives primarily from epidemiologic studies where the relationship between the incidence of atherosclerosis in people who smoke cigarettes has been shown to have a strong correlation. There are few well established explanations for this phenomenon, and basic molecular, biochemical, and cellular mechanisms associated with...