Impact of lipid-lowering therapy with pitavastatin, a new HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, on regression of coronary atherosclerotic plaque.
BACKGROUND
Recent lipid-lowering trials have reported that statin therapy may retard progression or stimulate regression of human coronary plaque. In the present study volumetric intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) analyses were performed to investigate the effect of pitavastatin, a newly developed statin, on regression of human coronary plaque.


RESULTS
Eighty-two patients matched for age and gender from 870 consecutive patients undergoing IVUS guided percutaneous coronary intervention were retrospectively assigned to either lipid-lowering therapy (n=41; pitavastatin 2 mg/day) or control group (n=41; diet only). Serial volumetric IVUS analyses of a matched left main coronary arterial site were performed. A significant reduction in low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) level of 33.2% (p<0.001) was observed in the pitavastatin group. Plaque volume index (PVI) was significantly reduced in the pitavastatin group (10.6+/-9.4% decrease) compared with the control group (8.1+/-14.0% increase, p<0.001). There were positive correlations between the percent change in the PVI and follow-up LDL-C level (r=0.500, p<0.001) and the percent change in LDL-C level (r=0.479, p<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Lipid-lowering therapy with pitavastatin induced significant coronary plaque regression, associated with a significant reduction in the LDL-C level. The percent change in the PVI showed a significant positive correlation with the percent change in LDL-C level.
Takashima
Hiroaki
H
Department of Cardiology, Aichi Medical University, School of Medicine, Aichi, Japan. h0914@aichi-med-u.ac.jp
Ozaki
Yukio
Y
Yasukawa
Tatsuya
T
Waseda
Katsuhisa
K
Asai
Kenji
K
Wakita
Yoshinori
Y
Kuroda
Yasuo
Y
Kosaka
Takashi
T
Kuhara
Yasushi
Y
Ito
Takayuki
T
D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011804:Quinolines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional
D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D011804:Quinolines; D014280:Triglycerides; C108475:pitavastatin