Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0004153 (atherosclerosis)
 77,401 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Drug treatment against atherosclerosis has been evaluated recently in many epidemiological studies. Lipid Research Clinics Group convincingly reported in a large scale design that anion exchange resin effectively reduced blood cholesterol level and concomitantly decreased the events of coronary heart disease. Subsequently, anion exchange resin with or without combined administration of niacin or statin was found to inhibit the progression of coronary atherosclerotic lesions in FATS, SCOR, CLAS and STARS. Fenofibrate also successfully reduced the coronary artery narrowings. Based on these intervention studies, several hypocholesterolemic agents are definitely effective in the treatment of coronary atherosclerosis.
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PMID:[The treatment of atherosclerosis--drug therapy]. 841 78

Lipoproteins and the impact of lipid lowering on progression and regression of coronary artery disease are discussed. Angiographically assessed regression studies are reviewed (NHLBI, LIT, LHT, CLAS I and II, FATS, POSCH, Heidelberg, STARS, SCRIP, MAAS, PLAC I, HARP, UC-SF), as are B-mode ultrasound studies (ACAPS, PLAC II) and survival studies (Oslo diet-smoking study, SSSS, Pravastatin, Oxford). Although study populations and the interventions are different in the studies, I have come to the following conclusions. Regression of atherosclerosis correlates well with reduction in LDL cholesterol and an increase in HDL cholesterol. Although overall improvement in the severity and extent of the disease was modest, reduction of clinical events was impressive. Lipid modulation may stabilize existing lesions by improving the stability of the lesion cap and/or promoting loss of cholesterol content from within the plaque. Survival studies indicate that lipid lowering lowers morbidity and increases longevity in patients with established coronary heart disease. The B-mode ultrasound studies using the carotid artery as surrogate for the change in atherosclerosis in the coronary seems extremely promising. The atherosclerotic process as well as complications may be studied at an early stage using noninvasive methods.
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PMID:Lipoproteins and the progression/regression of atherosclerosis. 859 28

In animals in which atherosclerosis was induced experimentally (by a high cholesterol diet) regression of the atherosclerotic lesion was demonstrated after serum cholesterol was reduced by cholesterol- lowering drugs or a low-fat diet. Whether regression of advanced coronary arterly lesions also takes place in humans after a similar intervention remains conjectural. However, several randomized studies, primarily employing lipid-lowering intervention or comprehensive changes in lifestyle, have demonstrated, using serial angiograms, that it is possible to achieve less progression, arrest or even (small) regression of atherosclerotic lesions. The lipid-lowering trials (NHBLI, CLAS, POSCH, FATS, SCOR and STARS) studied 1240 symptomatic patients, mostly men, with moderately elevated cholesterol levels and moderately severe angiographic-proven coronary artery disease. A variety of lipid-lowering drugs, in addition to a diet, were used over an intervention period ranging from 2 to 3 years. In all but one study (NHBLI), the progression of coronary atherosclerosis was less in the treated group, but regression was induced in only a few patients. The overall relative risk of progression of coronary atherosclerosis was 0 x 62 and 2 x 13, respectively. The induced angiographic differences were small and did not produce any significant haemodynamic benefit. The most important result was tht the disease process could be stabilized in the majority of patients. Three comprehensive lifestyle change trials (the Lifestyle Heart study, STARS and the Heidelberg Study) studied 183 patients, who were subjected to stress management, and/or intensive exercise, in addition to a low fat diet, over a period ranging from 1 to 3 years. All three trials demonstrated less progression, and more regression with overall relative risks of 0 x 40 and 2 x 35 respectively, in the intervention groups. Angiographic trials demonstrated that retardation or arrest of coronary atherosclerosis was possible after an intervention, but the ultimate goal, regression of the lesion, was only achieved in a small number of patients. However, the ability to stabilize coronary atherosclerosis is a considerable achievement for those patients with coronary atherosclerosis.
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PMID:Progression and regression of the atherosclerotic plaque. 882 54