title: Intensive lipid-lowering therapy with rosuvastatin stabilizes lipid-rich coronary plaques. -Evaluation using dual-source computed tomography.-.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Clinical studies using invasive modalities have reported that statin therapy stabilizes coronary plaque vulnerability. The serial changes of lipid-rich coronary plaques (LRCPs) during rosuvastatin treatment were evaluated non-invasively in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) using dual-source computed tomography (DSCT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 11 consecutive ACS patients, and 13 LRCPs were serially evaluated on DSCT before and 24 weeks after rosuvastatin treatment. Compared with the baseline, there was no change in post-treatment minimal lumen diameter, lumen volume, or longitudinal length of LRCPs. By contrast, the ratio of lipid core volume to plaque volume significantly decreased from 48.0 ± 9.9% to 43.7 ± 10.6% (P=0.04), and plaque volume decreased from 144.5 ± 85.5 mm³ to 119.8 ± 78.0 mm³ (P=0.07). The remodeling index of target LRCPs significantly decreased from 1.16 ± 0.10 to 1.06 ± 0.12 (P=0.02). Percent reduction of plaque volume was significantly greater in patients with a lower ratio of low-density lipoprotein to high-density lipoprotein (L/H ratio ≤ 1.5) at follow-up than patients with higher L/H ratio (>1.5; median -31.7% vs. -6.8%, P=0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rosuvastatin therapy reduced the volume of lipid cores and LRCPs and increased the CT attenuation value of LRCPs. DSCT is an effective modality for the non-invasive evaluation of LRCPs in patients with ACS. ).
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Nara Medical University.
authors.forename: Tsunenari
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Soeda
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uemura
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okayama
authors.forename: Rika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kawakami
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sugawara
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: Takaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Ji-Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Taku
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.forename: Ayako
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Senoo
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Somekawa
authors.forename: Yukiji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishigami
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawata
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Horii
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Saito
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D005260:Female; D005464:Fluorobenzenes / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D005464:Fluorobenzenes; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D011743:Pyrimidines; D013449:Sulfonamides; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium