Ibuprofen is a cyclooxygenase (COX-1 and COX-2) inhibitor known to reducethe production of prostaglandins that play prominent role in inflammation. Other properties of the drug,aside from its anti-inflammatory effects, have been recently studied. In this paper we shall discussseveral properties of ibuprofen that making the drug interesting for treatment of conditions associatedwith atherosclerosis. Ibuprofen exerts pleiotropic effects such as inhibition of adhesion and transendothelialmigration of leukocytes, suppressing intracellular production of reactive oxygen species and oxidativemodification of LDL. Interestingly, ibuprofen increased HDL cholesterol levels and reduced the levelof triglicerides. Ibuprofen can also modulate efficiency of fibrynolisis by inhibiting production ofplasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1). This properties of ibuprofen may be due to changing the activityof transcription factors. Ibuprofen inhibits the activation of NF-kB and activates PPARa and PPARg.

Keywords: Ibuprofen, atherosclerosis, Lipids