Is regression of atherosclerotic plaque possible?

ABSTRACT

As it is well-known, a thrombus evolving into a disrupted/eroded atherosclerotic plaque causes most acute coronary syndromes

Plaque stabilization via reduction of the lipid core and/or thickening of the fibrous cap is one of the possible mechanisms accounted for the clinical benefits displayed by different anti-atherosclerotic strategies.

The concept of plaque stabilization was developed to explain how lipid-lowering agents could decrease adverse coronary events without substantial modifications of the atherosclerotic lesion ('angiographic paradox').

A number of imaging modalities (vascular ultrasound and virtual histology, MRI, optical coherence tomography, positron tomography, etc.) are used for non-invasive assessment of atherosclerosis; most of them can identify plaque volume and composition beyond lumen stenosis.

An 'aggressive' lipid-lowering strategy is able to reduce the plaque burden and the incidence of cardiovascular events; this may be attributable, at least in part, to plaque-stabilizing effects.

CITATION  Clin Investig Arterioscler. 2016 Sep 27. pii: S0214-9168(16)30057-2. doi: 10.1016/j.arteri.2016.05.003