title: Atherosclerotic plaque imaging: contemporary role in preventive cardiology.
abstract: Coronary artery disease imaging has traditionally been based on luminal angiography, but it has become evident that this tool, although extremely useful in diagnosing obstructive disease, is insufficient to define the presence and extent of atherosclerotic disease in the vessel wall. Progression of coronary artery disease was also initially evaluated using quantitative coronary angiography, and evidence soon accumulated that minor regression or nonprogression of luminal disease was associated with a favorable cardiovascular outcome. In recent years, however, several other techniques have been developed to image atherosclerosis and are emerging as useful tools in preventive cardiovascular medicine. These techniques provide new methods to assess the burden of atherosclerosis, gauge the risk of cardiovascular events, and offer a means to test the efficacy of therapeutic approaches to atherosclerosis. Furthermore, noninvasive coronary angiography can be performed with some of the new imaging modalities, potentially reducing the number of unnecessary invasive tests. This review focuses on techniques such as cardiac computed tomography, carotid artery intima-media thickness, cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging, and intravascular ultrasonography as emerging tools in cardiovascular disease prevention.
authors.affiliation: Section of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Raggi
authors.forename: Allen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Zahi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fayad
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: O'Leary
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nissen
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rader
authors.forename: Leslee J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Shaw
mesh_terms: D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002309:Cardiology / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D011315:Preventive Medicine / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods