Decreasing common carotid artery intimal thickness during hypolipidemic therapy.
It has been demonstrated in recent years that ultrasound can be used to measure common carotid artery intimal thickness; an increase in intimal thickness is regarded as an early stage of atherosclerosis. This study was designed to establish whether or not intimal thickness can be modulated by therapy. Twenty-nine patients with familial hyperlipoproteinemias had follow-up ultrasound of the common carotid artery after twenty-nine months of comprehensive therapy. In 21 patients with familial hypercholesterolemia, intimal thickness decreased from 0.83 to 0.68 mm (P < 0.01), in 9 with familial combined hyperlipoproteinemia, the decrease was from 0.77 to 0.74 mm (a decrease was seen in only 50% of patients). With the group taken as a whole, the larger decrease was observed in patients treated with statins while the reduction was less marked in those administered fibrates. The authors found a decrease in common carotid artery intimal thickness following hypolipidemic therapy in patients with hyperlipoproteinemias. Their impression is that this was a manifestation of atherosclerosis regression.
Spácil
J
J
3rd Department of Internal Medicine, General Teaching Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic.
Ceska
R
R
Sobra
J
J
Petrásek
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006950:Hyperlipidemia, Familial Combined / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology; D014463:Ultrasonography
D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents