Stabilization and Regression of Coronary Plaques Treated With Pitavastatin Proven by Angioscopy and Intravascular Ultrasound: The TOGETHAR Trial

• Published in: Circulation Journal 2010, Vol.74(9), pp.1922-1928
• Main Authors: Kodama, Kazuhisa, Komatsu, Sei, Ueda, Yasunori, Takayama, Tadateru, Yajima, Jyunji, Nanto, Shinsuke, Matsuoka, Hiroshi, Saito, Satoshi, Hirayama, Atsushi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Angioscopy; Cholesterol, LDL - blood; Coronary angioscopy; Coronary Artery Disease - diagnosis; Coronary Artery Disease - drug therapy; Drug Monitoring - methods; Female; Humans; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; Intravascular ultrasound; Male; Middle Aged; Pitavastatin; Plaque regression; Plaque stabilization; Plaque, Atherosclerotic - diagnosis; Plaque, Atherosclerotic - drug therapy; Quinolines - administration & dosage; Quinolines - pharmacology; Quinolines - therapeutic use; Ultrasonography, Interventional
• ISSN: 1346-9843; 1347-4820
• DOI: 10.1253/circj.CJ-10-0038

Background: Few studies have serially monitored the change of coronary plaque after statin therapy using multiple plaque imaging modalities. Methods and Results: A prospective open-label trial was performed to assess coronary plaque regression and stabilization following 52 weeks of pitavastatin treatment (2 mg/day). Coronary segments that included the most diseased plaque of 90 patients determined on angioscopy were analyzed using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). The yellow grade of each plaque of 46 patients who had matched angioscopy and IVUS data was evaluated on angioscopy. Low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) was reduced 34.5% (145.0±24.0 mg/dl to 93.6±22.6 mg/dl, P