title: Quantitative 3T MR imaging of the descending thoracic aorta: patients with familial hypercholesterolemia have an increased aortic plaque burden despite long-term lipid-lowering therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the aortic plaque burden in patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia on long-term statin treatment with that of matched control subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors studied 11 heterozygous, nonsmoking, nondiabetic, and nonhypertensive patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (mean age, 44 years +/- 10) who had been receiving cholesterol-lowering management for a mean of 12 years +/- 5, including 8.25 years +/- 4.24 with the highest tolerable doses of a statin (or a statin plus ezetimibe), and 26 age- and sex-matched control subjects with 3T magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the descending thoracic aorta by using an axial T2-weighted turbo spin-echo sequence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Quantitative analysis demonstrated that the aortic vessel wall area was significantly larger in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia than in control subjects (123 mm(2) +/- 23 vs 102 mm(2) +/- 18, respectively; P < .007), as was vessel wall thickness (1.63 mm +/- 0.28 vs 1.37 mm +/- 0.16, respectively; P < .001). No significant difference was found between mean values of routine serum lipid and lipoprotein parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this preliminary study show that patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia have a higher aortic atherosclerotic plaque burden than control subjects at quantitative MR imaging despite long-term lipid-lowering therapy. This information may help design future studies evaluating plaque burden and cardiovascular risk.
authors.affiliation: Imaging Sciences Department, MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Imperial College, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Rd, London, W12 0NN England. stephan.schmitz@imperial.ac.uk
authors.forename: Stephan A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: Declan P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: O'Regan
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fitzpatrick
authors.forename: Clare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Neuwirth
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Potter
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tosi
authors.forename: Joseph V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Hajnal
authors.forename: Rossi P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Naoumova
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006938:Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents