Intravascular imaging assessment of pharmacotherapies targeting atherosclerosis: advantages and limitations in predicting their prognostic implications
Intravascular imaging has been often used over the recent years to examine the efficacy of emerging therapies targeting plaque evolution. Serial intravascular ultrasound, optical coherence tomography, or near infrared spectroscopy-intravascular ultrasound studies have allowed us to evaluate the effects of different therapies on plaque burden and morphology, providing unique mechanistic insights about the mode of action of these treatments. Plaque burden reduction, a decrease in necrotic core component or macrophages accumulation – that have been associated with inflammation - and an increase in fibrous cap thickness over fibroatheromas have been used as surrogate endpoints to assess the value of several drugs in ...
