Effects of Statins on Coronary Atherosclerotic Plaques: The PARADIGM Study
Qual è l'impatto delle statine sulla placca aterosclerotica valutato con la TC coronarica? (JACC Cardiovasc Imaging 2018 Jun 8)
Although statins reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, their long-term effects on coronary atherosclerosis remain unclear. This prospective, multinational study sought to describe the impact of statins on individual coronary atherosclerotic plaques.
The study includes consecutive patients without history of coronary artery disease who underwent serial coronary computed tomography angiography at an interscan interval of ≥2 years. A total of 1,079 coronary artery lesions in statin-naive patients (n = 474), and 2,496 coronary artery lesions in statin-taking patients (n = 781) were evaluated.
According to the results, statins were associated with slower progression of overall coronary atherosclerosis volume, with increased plaque calcification and reduction of high-risk plaque features. Statins did not affect the progression of percentage of stenosis severity of coronary artery lesions but induced phenotypic plaque transformation.