Coronary atherosclerotic disease burden: an emerging endpoint in progression/regression studies using intravascular ultrasound.

摘要: Coronary artery disease (CAD) represents the major cause of mortality in North America and Western Europe. Most acute coronary events, including myocardial infarction (MI) sudden cardiac death, are initiated by rupture mildly stenotic but vulnerable lesions subsequent thrombosis. Recent results demonstrate a high prevalence such plaques many years before clinical events occur. Because event rate asymptomatic patients, which would be candidate for primary prevention, is relatively low, pharmacological studies with endpoint MI death require large study populations long follow-up. Alternatively, direct observation plaque burden morphology vivo imaging modalities has been proposed as an serial studies. This review will summarize rational this approach describe use intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)