Current imaging modalities for atherosclerosis

Abstract

Atherosclerotic disease is responsible for nearly half of all deaths in the western world. During the past three decades, considerable efforts have been made towards detection and assessment of atherosclerosis plaques in various vascular beds using different imaging techniques. Recently, both noninvasive and invasive modalities have frequently been used to refine cardiovascular risk assessment in high-risk individuals, to evaluate the natural history of atheroma burden and to reveal the impact of anti-atherosclerotic medical therapies on disease progression. In this review, we provide an overview of the currently available imaging modalities. This article will underscore arterial wall imaging to assess the impact of medical therapies on atherosclerosis and to develop the effective therapeutic strategies, resulting in the prevention of cardiovascular complications.

Keywords::

• anti-atherosclerotic medical therapies
• atheroma progression
• atheroma regression
• atherosclerosis
• imaging modalities

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge Dr Paul Schoenhagen (Imaging Institute and Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland Clinic, OH, USA) for providing some of the CT images in this manuscript.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

SJ Nicholls has received speaking honoraria from AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Merck Schering-Plough and Takeda, consulting fees from AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Merck Schering-Plough, Takeda, Roche, NovoNordisk, LipoScience and Anthera, and research support from AstraZeneca and Lipid Sciences. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.