Michael Bartolf-Kopp

1 Introduction Lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remain one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with very limited disease-modifying treatment options and lung volume reduction or transplantation often representing the only option for end-stage conditions [1].

1 Introduction According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally, representing 32% of all deaths in 2019. Atherosclerosis or narrowing of arteries due to plaque buildup can affect most arteries in the body, but atherosclerosis in coronary arteries that supply the heart muscle with oxygen and nutrients is the leading cause of death in developed countries.

Riccardo Levato Department of Orthopaedics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3584 CX The Netherlands Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3584 CT The Netherlands Search for more papers by this author