title: Statin-induced coronary artery disease regression rates differ in men and women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Whether statins are equi-efficacious in women and men continues to be debated. The potential antiatherosclerotic effects of high-intensity statin therapy on coronary atheroma in women compared with men have only very recently been characterized. This review aims to summarize the evidence underlying these recent observations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Coronary intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is a highly sensitive plaque imaging tool, and serial changes of plaque burden on IVUS are known to associate with incident cardiovascular events. Study of coronary atheroma by intravascular ultrasound: effect of rosuvastatin versus atorvastatin was a randomized controlled trial employing serial IVUS to evaluate the antiatherosclerotic efficacy of high-dose rosuvastatin and atorvastatin during a 24-month study period. Study of coronary atheroma by intravascular ultrasound: effect of rosuvastatin versus atorvastatin revealed significantly greater coronary atheroma regression in women compared with men, particularly in the setting of lower achieved LDL cholesterol. Results of this analysis also identified a significant interaction between sex and type of statin used.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings support the broad use of statins, especially high-intensity statins, in women with coronary artery disease, who may in fact derive greater benefit than men. These findings also suggest the need for dedicated clinical trials involving women, supporting the notion of more personalized therapeutic strategies for tackling atherosclerotic disease.
authors.affiliation: aDepartment of Cardiovascular Medicine, C5Research (C5R), Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA bSouth Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: Rishi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Puri
authors.forename: Steven E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Nissen
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Nicholls
mesh_terms: D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors