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Barkas F, Sener YZ, Golforoush PA, Kheirkhah A, Rodriguez-Sanchez E, Novak J, Apellaniz-Ruiz M, Akyea RK, Bianconi V, Ceasovschih A, Chee YJ, Cherska M, Chora JR, D'Oria M, Demikhova N, Kocyigit Burunkaya D, Rimbert A, Macchi C, Rathod K, Roth L, Sukhorukov V, Stoica S, Scicali R, Storozhenko T, Uzokov J, Lupo MG, van der Vorst EPC, Porsch F. Advancements in risk stratification and management strategies in primary cardiovascular prevention. Atherosclerosis 2024; 395:117579. [PMID: 38824844 DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2024.117579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, highlighting the urgent need for advancements in risk assessment and management strategies. Although significant progress has been made recently, identifying and managing apparently healthy individuals at a higher risk of developing atherosclerosis and those with subclinical atherosclerosis still poses significant challenges. Traditional risk assessment tools have limitations in accurately predicting future events and fail to encompass the complexity of the atherosclerosis trajectory. In this review, we describe novel approaches in biomarkers, genetics, advanced imaging techniques, and artificial intelligence that have emerged to address this gap. Moreover, polygenic risk scores and imaging modalities such as coronary artery calcium scoring, and coronary computed tomography angiography offer promising avenues for enhancing primary cardiovascular risk stratification and personalised intervention strategies. On the other hand, interventions aiming against atherosclerosis development or promoting plaque regression have gained attention in primary ASCVD prevention. Therefore, the potential role of drugs like statins, ezetimibe, proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors, omega-3 fatty acids, antihypertensive agents, as well as glucose-lowering and anti-inflammatory drugs are also discussed. Since findings regarding the efficacy of these interventions vary, further research is still required to elucidate their mechanisms of action, optimize treatment regimens, and determine their long-term effects on ASCVD outcomes. In conclusion, advancements in strategies addressing atherosclerosis prevention and plaque regression present promising avenues for enhancing primary ASCVD prevention through personalised approaches tailored to individual risk profiles. Nevertheless, ongoing research efforts are imperative to refine these strategies further and maximise their effectiveness in safeguarding cardiovascular health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fotios Barkas
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
| | - Yusuf Ziya Sener
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | | | - Azin Kheirkhah
- Institute of Genetic Epidemiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Elena Rodriguez-Sanchez
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Department of Physiology, and Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jan Novak
- 2(nd) Department of Internal Medicine, St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno and Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Maria Apellaniz-Ruiz
- Genomics Medicine Unit, Navarra Institute for Health Research - IdiSNA, Navarrabiomed, Hospital Universitario de Navarra (HUN), Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Ralph Kwame Akyea
- Centre for Academic Primary Care, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Vanessa Bianconi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Italy
| | - Alexandr Ceasovschih
- Internal Medicine Department, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania
| | - Ying Jie Chee
- Department of Endocrinology, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore
| | - Mariia Cherska
- Cardiology Department, Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Joana Rita Chora
- Unidade I&D, Grupo de Investigação Cardiovascular, Departamento de Promoção da Saúde e Doenças Não Transmissíveis, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Lisboa, Portugal; Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Mario D'Oria
- Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Department of Medical Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Nadiia Demikhova
- Sumy State University, Sumy, Ukraine; Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | | | - Antoine Rimbert
- Nantes Université, CNRS, INSERM, l'institut du Thorax, Nantes, France
| | - Chiara Macchi
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Krishnaraj Rathod
- Centre for Cardiovascular Medicine and Devices, William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom; Barts Interventional Group, Barts Heart Centre, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lynn Roth
- Laboratory of Physiopharmacology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Vasily Sukhorukov
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Pathology of Cardiovascular System, Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery, Moscow, Russia
| | - Svetlana Stoica
- "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania; Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Roberto Scicali
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Tatyana Storozhenko
- Cardiovascular Center Aalst, OLV Clinic, Aalst, Belgium; Department of Prevention and Treatment of Emergency Conditions, L.T. Malaya Therapy National Institute NAMSU, Kharkiv, Ukraine
| | - Jamol Uzokov
- Republican Specialized Scientific Practical Medical Center of Therapy and Medical Rehabilitation, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | | | - Emiel P C van der Vorst
- Institute for Molecular Cardiovascular Research (IMCAR), RWTH Aachen University, 52074, Aachen, Germany; Aachen-Maastricht Institute for CardioRenal Disease (AMICARE), RWTH Aachen University, 52074, Aachen, Germany; Institute for Cardiovascular Prevention (IPEK), Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 80336, Munich, Germany; Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research (IZKF), RWTH Aachen University, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Florentina Porsch
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Garg PK, Bhatia HS, Allen TS, Grainger T, Pouncey AL, Dichek D, Virmani R, Golledge J, Allison MA, Powell JT. Assessment of Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Asymptomatic People In Vivo: Measurements Suitable for Biomarker and Mendelian Randomization Studies. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2024; 44:24-47. [PMID: 38150519 PMCID: PMC10753091 DOI: 10.1161/atvbaha.123.320138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND One strategy to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease is the early detection and treatment of atherosclerosis. This has led to significant interest in studies of subclinical atherosclerosis, using different phenotypes, not all of which are accurate reflections of the presence of asymptomatic atherosclerotic plaques. The aim of part 2 of this series is to provide a review of the existing literature on purported measures of subclinical disease and recommendations concerning which tests may be appropriate in the prevention of incident cardiovascular disease. METHODS We conducted a critical review of measurements used to infer the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis in the major conduit arteries and focused on the predictive value of these tests for future cardiovascular events, independent of conventional cardiovascular risk factors, in asymptomatic people. The emphasis was on studies with >10 000 person-years of follow-up, with meta-analysis of results reporting adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CIs. The arterial territories were limited to carotid, coronary, aorta, and lower limb arteries. RESULTS In the carotid arteries, the presence of plaque (8 studies) was independently associated with future stroke (pooled HR, 1.89 [1.04-3.44]) and cardiac events (7 studies), with a pooled HR, 1.77 (1.19-2.62). Increased coronary artery calcium (5 studies) was associated with the risk of coronary heart disease events, pooled HR, 1.54 (1.07-2.07) and increasing severity of calcification (by Agaston score) was associated with escalation of risk (13 studies). An ankle/brachial index (ABI) of <0.9, the pooled HR for cardiovascular death from 7 studies was 2.01 (1.43-2.81). There were insufficient studies of either, thoracic or aortic calcium, aortic diameter, or femoral plaque to synthesize the data based on consistent reporting of these measures. CONCLUSIONS The presence of carotid plaque, coronary artery calcium, or abnormal ankle pressures seems to be a valid indicator of the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis and may be considered for use in biomarker, Mendelian randomization and similar studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parveen K Garg
- Division of Cardiology, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles (G.P.)
| | - Harpreet S Bhatia
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of California San Diego (B.H., A.T., A.M.A.)
| | - Tara S Allen
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of California San Diego (B.H., A.T., A.M.A.)
| | - Tabitha Grainger
- Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London (G.T., P.A.-L., P.J.T.)
| | - Anna L Pouncey
- Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London (G.T., P.A.-L., P.J.T.)
| | - David Dichek
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle (D.D.)
| | | | - Jonathan Golledge
- Queensland Research Centre for Peripheral Vascular Disease, James Cook University and Townsville University Hospital, Australia (G.J.)
| | - Matthew A Allison
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of California San Diego (B.H., A.T., A.M.A.)
| | - Janet T Powell
- Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London (G.T., P.A.-L., P.J.T.)
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