Atherosclerosis measured by B-mode ultrasonography: effect of statin therapy on disease progression
Abstract
Changes in intima-media thickness (IMT) and arterial lumen diameter-as measured by B-mode high-resolution ultrasonography and quantitative coronary angiography, respectively-are currently the only surrogate markers for progression of atherosclerotic disease recognized by regulatory authorities in the United States and Europe. Because atherosclerosis is a disease of the arterial wall, the ability of B-mode ultrasonography to provide visualization of IMT offers significant advantages over angiography. These advantages, as well as the safety and noninvasiveness of B-mode ultrasonography, have led to increasing use of this imaging technique in observational studies and interventional studies of lipid-lowering agents over the last decade. These observational studies clearly demonstrated an association between carotid IMT and atherosclerotic disease. Of the interventional studies, the recent Arterial Biology for the Investigation of the Treatment Effects of Reducing Cholesterol (ARBITER) trial found that use of atorvastatin 80 mg daily for aggressive lowering of plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations to below current target levels was associated with significant IMT regression compared with results obtained...Continue Reading
References
Citations
Related Concepts
Related Feeds
Atherosclerosis Disease Progression
Atherosclerosis is the buildup of plaque on artery walls, causing stenosis which can eventually lead to clinically apparent cardiovascular disease. Find the latest research on atherosclerosis disease progression here.
Carotid Artery Diseases
Carotid artery disease is a group of pathological conditions of the carotid artery. Discover the latest research on carotid artery disease here.
ApoE, Lipids & Cholesterol
Serum cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein B (APOB)-containing lipoproteins (very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), immediate-density lipoprotein (IDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), lipoprotein A (LPA)) and the total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ratio are all connected in diseases. Here is the latest research.