Coronary atherosclerosis regression - theory, facts and clinical relevance

Regression of Coronary Atherosclerosis with Medical Therapy.

A 42-year-old man with hyperlipidemia and a family history of coronary artery disease presented with a 4-month history of intermittent exertional chest pain. Myocardial perfusion imaging performed during exercise showed moderate ischemia in the distribution of the left circumflex coronary artery (Panel A, arrow). Coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA) revealed a large amount of atheros...

Coronary anomalies: incidence, pathophysiology, and clinical relevance.

Coronary artery anomalies are some of the most confusing, neglected topics in cardiology. Although the medical community and general public are increasingly aware that coronary anomalies can be fatal (typically in young, previously “healthy” athletes),1 the reasons for the sudden fatal event and the frequency with which it occurs are generally unclear. To promote a less casual approach to this ...

Statins, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and regression of coronary atherosclerosis.

CONTEXT Statins reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and slow progression of coronary atherosclerosis. However, no data exist describing the relationship between statin-induced changes in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and disease progression. OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between changes in LDL-C and HDL-C levels and atheroma burden. DESIGN, S...

Quantitative coronary angiography to measure progression and regression of coronary atherosclerosis. Value, limitations, and implications for clinical trials.

Markers of preclinical atherosclerosis and their clinical relevance.

The estimation of risk for atherosclerotic and cardiovascular events based only on the presence of classical risk factors is often insufficient. Therefore, efforts have been made to find markers that indicate the presence of preclinical disease in individual subjects: blood markers of atherosclerosis and preclinical deterioration of the arterial wall. Elevated levels of several inflammatory med...