title: Lipid Lowering Therapy to Modify Plaque Microstructures.
abstract: Due to the pandemics of obesity and diabetes mellitus, especially in the Western countries, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) has become a major health burden and is expected to increase in the future. Modifying lipid targets, especially low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level, has become the first-line therapy for primary and secondary prevention of ASCVD. Intravascular imaging modalities have contributed to elucidating clinical efficacy of lipid lowering therapy on atherosclerotic plaques. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a high-resolution imaging tool enables visualization of plaque microstructures associated with its instability. This modality has demonstrated favorable changes in plaque microstructures under lowering LDL-C level. In addition, clinical studies using OCT have suggested potential association of other lipid targets, including triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol with plaque microstructures. Given continuing cardiovascular risks despite statin therapy, OCT will be an important imaging modality to evaluate novel therapeutic approaches that potentially modulates plaque instability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, National Cerebral & Cardiovascular Centre.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kataoka
authors.forename: Jordan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Andrews
authors.forename: Rishi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Puri
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Psaltis
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Nicholls
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D008055:Lipids