The relationship between various stages of atherosclerosis and the amount of apoptosis occurring within and away from the lesions is the focus of the present study. Forty-one (41) aortic samples were obtained from patients from both sexes, ages 8 to 70 years. Specimens included 9 controls, 16 lesions (8 fatty streaks & 5 fibrolipid and 3 complicated plaques) as well as 19 non lesional samples. The amount of cells undergoing apoptotic changes were quantitated using TUNEL technique and Image analysis. The values for apoptosis were noted to increase as the disease progressed in pathologic stage, also apparently healthy disease- free aortic areas, showed very high quantities of cells undergoing apoptotic cell death. Such findings indicate that the whole vasculature in such patients cannot be considered healthy and the widespread distribution of the pathologic process requires special, systemic treatment modalities and preferably early preventive measures before emergence of the disease particularly in the high-risk groups of patients. The use of anti-apoptotic agents in the treatment protocols of patients with already established lesions could possibly put a check on disease progression and prevent the development of more serious complications.