Atherosclerosis (AS), one of the most common cardiovascular diseases, is the primary cause of morbidity and mortality in the case of cardiac events, thus posing a great threat to human health worldwide. [1][2][3] The disease is characterized by deposition of lipid and other blood components in the intima of the artery, proliferation of smooth muscle cells and increase of collagen fibres, chronic inflammation, plaque formation and hardening of the vascular walls. [3][4][5] The development of atheromatous plaques leads to serious clinical outcomes. 6,7 Once the vulnerable plaques rupture, they induce several clinical conditions, including stroke and myocardial infarction. 8 To date, arteriography is considered to be the gold standard for the diagnosis of AS. However, given the involvement of an invasive procedure, primary injury is