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Williams KJ. Eradicating Atherosclerotic Events by Targeting Early Subclinical Disease: It Is Time to Retire the Therapeutic Paradigm of Too Much, Too Late. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2024; 44:48-64. [PMID: 37970716 DOI: 10.1161/atvbaha.123.320065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Recent decades have seen spectacular advances in understanding and managing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, but paradoxically, clinical progress has stalled. Residual risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease events is particularly vexing, given recognized lifestyle interventions and powerful modern medications. Why? Atherosclerosis begins early in life, yet clinical trials and mechanistic studies often emphasize terminal, end-stage plaques, meaning on the verge of causing heart attacks and strokes. Thus, current clinical evidence drives us to emphasize aggressive treatments that are delayed until patients already have advanced arterial disease. I call this paradigm "too much, too late." This brief review covers exciting efforts that focus on preventing, or finding and treating, arterial disease before its end-stage. Also included are specific proposals to establish a new evidence base that could justify intensive short-term interventions (induction-phase therapy) to treat subclinical plaques that are early enough perhaps to heal. If we can establish that such plaques are actionable, then broad screening to find them in early midlife individuals would become imperative-and achievable. You have a lump in your coronaries! can motivate patients and clinicians. We must stop thinking of a heart attack as a disease. The real disease is atherosclerosis. In my opinion, an atherosclerotic heart attack is a medical failure. It is a manifestation of longstanding arterial disease that we had allowed to progress to its end-stage, despite knowing that atherosclerosis begins early in life and despite the availability of remarkably safe and highly effective therapies. The field needs a transformational advance to shift the paradigm out of end-stage management and into early interventions that hold the possibility of eradicating the clinical burden of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, currently the biggest killer in the world. We urgently need a new evidence base to redirect our main focus from terminal, end-stage atherosclerosis to earlier, and likely reversible, human arterial disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Jon Williams
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Department of Medicine, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, PA
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Reijnders E, van der Laarse A, Jukema JW, Cobbaert CM. High residual cardiovascular risk after lipid-lowering: prime time for Predictive, Preventive, Personalized, Participatory, and Psycho-cognitive medicine. Front Cardiovasc Med 2023; 10:1264319. [PMID: 37908502 PMCID: PMC10613690 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1264319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
As time has come to translate trial results into individualized medical diagnosis and therapy, we analyzed how to minimize residual risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) by reviewing papers on "residual cardiovascular disease risk". During this review process we found 989 papers that started off with residual CVD risk after initiating statin therapy, continued with papers on residual CVD risk after initiating therapy to increase high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), followed by papers on residual CVD risk after initiating therapy to decrease triglyceride (TG) levels. Later on, papers dealing with elevated levels of lipoprotein remnants and lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] reported new risk factors of residual CVD risk. And as new risk factors are being discovered and new therapies are being tested, residual CVD risk will be reduced further. As we move from CVD risk reduction to improvement of patient management, a paradigm shift from a reductionistic approach towards a holistic approach is required. To that purpose, a personalized treatment dependent on the individual's CVD risk factors including lipid profile abnormalities should be configured, along the line of P5 medicine for each individual patient, i.e., with Predictive, Preventive, Personalized, Participatory, and Psycho-cognitive approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Reijnders
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - A. van der Laarse
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - J. W. Jukema
- Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Netherlands Heart Institute, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - C. M. Cobbaert
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
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Shapiro MD. Prolonged and Pronounced Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Lowering: The Gift That Keeps Giving. Circulation 2022; 146:1120-1122. [PMID: 36031845 DOI: 10.1161/circulationaha.122.061727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Shapiro
- Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Center for Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Winston-Salem, NC
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Zheng Y, Li Y, Ran X, Wang D, Zheng X, Zhang M, Yu B, Sun Y, Wu J. Mettl14 mediates the inflammatory response of macrophages in atherosclerosis through the NF-κB/IL-6 signaling pathway. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:311. [PMID: 35598196 PMCID: PMC9124663 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04331-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The inflammatory response of macrophages has been reported to play a critical role in atherosclerosis. The inflammatory state of macrophages is modified by epigenetic reprogramming. m6A RNA methylation is an epigenetic modification of RNAs. However, little is known about the potential roles and underlying mechanisms of m6A modification in macrophage inflammation. Herein, we showed that the expression of the m6A modification “writer” Mettl14 was increased in coronary heart disease and LPS-stimulated THP-1 cells. Knockdown of Mettl14 promoted M2 polarization of macrophages, inhibited foam cell formation and decreased migration. Mechanistically, the expression of Myd88 and IL-6 was decreased in Mettl14 knockdown cells. Through m6A modification, Mettl14 regulated the stability of Myd88 mRNA. Furthermore, Myd88 affected the transcription of IL-6 via the distribution of p65 in nuclei rather than directly regulating the expression of IL-6 through m6A modification. In vivo, Mettl14 gene knockout significantly reduced the inflammatory response of macrophages and the development of atherosclerotic plaques. Taken together, our data demonstrate that Mettl14 plays a vital role in macrophage inflammation in atherosclerosis via the NF-κB/IL-6 signaling pathway, suggesting that Mettl14 may be a promising therapeutic target for the clinical treatment of atherosclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zheng
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- The Key Laboratory of Myocardial Ischemia, Chinese Ministry of Education, Harbin, China
| | - Yunqi Li
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- The Key Laboratory of Myocardial Ischemia, Chinese Ministry of Education, Harbin, China
| | - Xianwen Ran
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- The Key Laboratory of Myocardial Ischemia, Chinese Ministry of Education, Harbin, China
| | - Di Wang
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- The Key Laboratory of Myocardial Ischemia, Chinese Ministry of Education, Harbin, China
| | - Xianghui Zheng
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- The Key Laboratory of Myocardial Ischemia, Chinese Ministry of Education, Harbin, China
| | - Maomao Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- The Key Laboratory of Myocardial Ischemia, Chinese Ministry of Education, Harbin, China
| | - Bo Yu
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- The Key Laboratory of Myocardial Ischemia, Chinese Ministry of Education, Harbin, China
| | - Yong Sun
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
- The Key Laboratory of Myocardial Ischemia, Chinese Ministry of Education, Harbin, China.
| | - Jian Wu
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
- The Key Laboratory of Myocardial Ischemia, Chinese Ministry of Education, Harbin, China.
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Shapiro MD, Bhatt DL. "Cholesterol-Years" for ASCVD Risk Prediction and Treatment. J Am Coll Cardiol 2021; 76:1517-1520. [PMID: 32972527 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2020.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Shapiro
- Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Section on Cardiovascular Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
| | - Deepak L Bhatt
- Brigham and Women's Hospital Heart and Vascular Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. https://twitter.com/DLBhattMD
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Macchi C, Sirtori CR, Corsini A, Santos RD, Watts GF, Ruscica M. A new dawn for managing dyslipidemias: The era of rna-based therapies. Pharmacol Res 2019; 150:104413. [PMID: 31449975 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2019.104413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2019] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The high occurrence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events is still a major public health issue. Although a major determinant of ASCVD event reduction is the absolute change of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), considerable residual risk remains and new therapeutic options are required, in particular, to address triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)]. In the era of Genome Wide Association Studies and Mendelian Randomization analyses aimed at increasing the understanding of the pathophysiology of ASCVD, RNA-based therapies may offer more effective treatment options. The advantage of oligonucleotide-based treatments is that drug candidates are targeted at highly specific regions of RNA that code for proteins that in turn regulate lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. For LDL-C lowering, the use of inclisiran - a silencing RNA that inhibits proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) synthesis - has the advantage that a single s.c. injection lowers LDL-C for up to 6 months. In familial hypercholesterolemia, the use of the antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) mipomersen, targeting apolipoprotein (apoB) to reduce LDL-C, has been a valuable therapeutic approach, despite unquestionable safety concerns. The availability of specific ASOs lowering Lp(a) levels will allow rigorous testing of the Lp(a) hypothesis; by dramatically reducing plasma triglyceride levels, Volanesorsen (APOC3) and angiopoietin-like 3 (ANGPTL3)-LRx will further clarify the causality of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in ASCVD. The rapid progress to date heralds a new dawn in therapeutic lipidology, but outcome, safety and cost-effectiveness studies are required to establish the role of these new agents in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Macchi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - C R Sirtori
- Dyslipidemia Center, A.S.S.T. Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy
| | - A Corsini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy; IRCCS Multimedica, Milan, Italy
| | - R D Santos
- Lipid Clinic, Heart Institute (InCor), University of Sao Paulo, Brazil; Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - G F Watts
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia; Lipid Disorders Clinic, Cardiometabolic Services, Department of Cardiology, Royal Perth Hospital, Australia.
| | - M Ruscica
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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Wong ND, Shapiro MD. Interpreting the Findings From the Recent PCSK9 Monoclonal Antibody Cardiovascular Outcomes Trials. Front Cardiovasc Med 2019; 6:14. [PMID: 30895178 PMCID: PMC6414420 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2019.00014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The recent development of monoclonal antibodies targeted to proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), e.g., PCSK9 inhibitors has revolutionized the landscape of lipid management. Many clinical trials assessing this class have demonstrated remarkable and consistent reductions in low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. Moreover, the GLAGOV trial demonstrated the efficacy of evolocumab, when added to statin therapy, in reducing the progression of atherosclerosis measured by serial intravascular ultrasound, with the first suggestion of continued benefit down to LDL-C levels of 0.5 mmol/L (20 mg/dL). This trial was followed by the FOURIER Cardiovascular Outcomes trial in more than 27,000 patients with stable atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) where evolocumab reduced the primary endpoint of atherosclerotic events by 15%, without significant safety differences between treatment groups. Furthermore, subgroup analyses suggested greater benefits seen in those with longer exposure to evolocumab recent acute coronary syndrome, multiple myocardial infarctions, multivessel coronary artery disease, peripheral arterial disease, as well as the subgroup who achieved very low low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels of below 0.3 mmol/L (10 mg/dL). Moreover, the EBBINGHAUS substudy demonstrated no differences in objectively measured cognitive function between treatment groups. The SPIRE 2 trial evaluating bococizumab in high-risk patients with baseline LDL-C ≥2.6 mmol/L (100 mg/dL) demonstrated significant atherosclerotic risk reduction, but the trial and further development of the drug was prematurely discontinued due to substantial attenuation of the LDL-C effect over time due to the development of neutralizing antibodies. Finally, the ODYSSEY Cardiovascular Outcomes trial testing alirocumab in subjects with recent (<1 year) acute coronary syndrome demonstrated a 15% relative risk reduction in the primary composite outcome, as well as a significant reduction in total mortality. Greater benefits were noted in those whose LDL-C at baseline was 2.6 mmol/L (100 mg/dL) or greater. These trials collectively demonstrate the added efficacy of PCSK9 inhibitors over moderate and high-intensity statin therapy for unprecedented low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol reduction and incremental ASCVD risk reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan D. Wong
- Heart Disease Prevention Program, Division of Cardiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Michael D. Shapiro
- Knight Cardiovascular Institute, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, OR, United States
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