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Pharmacologic strategies for the prevention of atherosclerotic plaque progression

Paul Schoenhagen1, Timothy Crowe, Murat Tuzcu

  • 1The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Department of Radiology, Cardiovascular Imaging, Radiology Desk Hb-6, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA. schoenp1@ccf.org.

Expert Review of Cardiovascular Therapy
|October 27, 2004
PubMed

Insights

New pharmacologic agents are needed to combat coronary artery disease, the leading cause of death. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) can track plaque changes in clinical trials, guiding future drug development for atherosclerosis.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Pharmacology
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Coronary artery disease (CAD) persists as a primary cause of mortality globally.
  • Existing treatments are insufficient, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies.
  • Atherosclerosis progression requires pharmacologic interventions targeting disease modification.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the utility of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) in assessing coronary plaque.
  • To evaluate IVUS as an endpoint in pharmacologic intervention trials for CAD.
  • To identify potential future pharmacologic targets for treating atherosclerotic disease.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) applications in cardiology.
  • Analysis of data from recent pharmacologic intervention trials utilizing IVUS.
  • Discussion of the role of in vivo imaging in evaluating treatment efficacy.

Main Results:

  • Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) provides direct visualization of coronary plaque burden and morphology.
  • IVUS has been successfully employed as a surrogate endpoint in serial pharmacologic trials.
  • Evidence suggests IVUS can effectively monitor treatment-induced changes in atherosclerotic lesions.

Conclusions:

  • Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is a valuable tool for evaluating novel pharmacologic agents in CAD.
  • Further research into pharmacologic targets modifying atherosclerosis is warranted.
  • IVUS-guided trials can accelerate the development of effective treatments for coronary artery disease.

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