Public health impact of atherosclerosis and Chlamydia pneumoniae infections — What do we know and what to expect from future research

The association between infectious diseases and atherosclerosis is now well documented [1]. The evidence for involvement of Chlamydia pneumoniae in atherogenesis appears to be the strongest. Chlamydia pneumoniae infections have been recognized as an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease in a prospective nested case-control study within a cohort of symptom-free elderly men [2]. The number of reports studying the involvement of Chlamydia pneumoniae is rapidly rising. This paper summarizes epidemiological data and trends of most prevalent cardiovascular diseases and traditional risk factors in the Netherlands, epidemiological data of Chlamydia pneumoniae infections, and of respiratory tract infections as a new risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Combining all this information, we provide suggestions for future research to fill in the gaps in our knowledge of the relationship between Chlamydia pneumoniae infections and cardiovascular diseases.