Influence of Lipid-Lowering Therapy on the Progression of Coronary Artery Calcification
Open Access
- 27 August 2002
- journal article
- clinical trial
- Published by Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) in Circulation
- Vol. 106 (9), 1077-1082
- https://doi.org/10.1161/01.cir.0000027567.49283.ff
Abstract
Background— Coronary calcification measured by fast computed tomography techniques is a surrogate marker of coronary atherosclerotic plaque burden. In a cohort study, we prospectively investigated whether lipid-lowering therapy with a cholesterol synthesis enzyme inhibitor reduces the progression of coronary calcification. Methods and Results— In 66 patients with coronary calcifications in electron beam tomography (EBT), LDL cholesterol >130 mg/dL, and no lipid-lowering treatment, the EBT scan was repeated after a mean interval of 14 months and treatment with cerivastatin was initiated (0.3 mg/d). After 12 months of treatment, a third EBT scan was performed. Coronary calcifications were quantified using a volumetric score. Cerivastatin therapy lowered the mean LDL cholesterol level from 164±30 to 107±21 mg/dL. The median calcified volume was 155 mm 3 (range, 15 to 1849) at baseline, 201 mm 3 (19 to 2486) after 14 months without treatment, and 203 mm 3 (15 to 2569) after 12 months of cerivastatin treatment. The median annualized absolute increase in coronary calcium was 25 mm 3 during the untreated versus 11 mm 3 during the treatment period ( P =0.01). The median annual relative increase in coronary calcium was 25% during the untreated versus 8.8% during the treatment period ( P P =0.0001). Conclusions— Treatment with the cholesterol synthesis enzyme inhibitor cerivastatin significantly reduces coronary calcium progression in patients with LDL cholesterol >130 mg/dL.Keywords
This publication has 22 references indexed in Scilit:
- Effects of an Angiotensin-Converting–Enzyme Inhibitor, Ramipril, on Cardiovascular Events in High-Risk PatientsNew England Journal of Medicine, 2000
- Effect of HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitors on Coronary Artery Disease as Assessed by Electron-Beam Computed TomographyNew England Journal of Medicine, 1998
- Echocardiographic detection of regional diastolic dysfunction in patients with coronary artery disease and normal wall motionJournal of the American College of Cardiology, 1998
- Diffuse calcification in human coronary arteries. Association of osteopontin with atherosclerosis.JCI Insight, 1994
- Comparison of serial quantitative evaluation of calcified coronary artery plaque by ultrafast computed tomography in persons with and without obstructive coronary artery diseaseThe American Journal of Cardiology, 1991
- Quantification of coronary artery calcium using ultrafast computed tomographyJournal of the American College of Cardiology, 1990
- Shape-based interpolation of multidimensional objectsIEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, 1990
- Coronary calcification in the diagnosis of coronary artery diseaseThe American Journal of Cardiology, 1979
- Incidence and significance of coronary artery calcification.Heart, 1974
- CORONARY ARTERIAL CALCIFICATION A REVIEWThe American Journal of the Medical Sciences, 1961