Based on numerous existing studies, we have identified four main causes of impaired efferocytosis during the progression of atherosclerosis: (i) Competitive recognition of phagocytic receptors: the presence of large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) in atherosclerotic plaques, which competitively bind to phagocytic receptors such as sR-B I or the bridging molecule MFG-E8 [41], affects the recognition process of apoptotic cells. Here, MFGE8 is linked to atherosclerosis.