The objective of the program committee of the Fifth International Symposium on Atherosclerosis was to bring together experts in many disciplines to broaden the scope of the attack on this disease and to foster interaction. Our hope was that such interaction would accelerate the eradication of the disease. The symposium achieved that objective and con- tinued the tradition of the previous symposia in providing a forum for summaries of recent research developments in the study, treatment and prevention of atherosclerosis. The leading authorities and researchers in this field and in the related...