The prevention and regression of atherosclerotic plaques: emerging treatments

Atul Ashok Kalanuria,¹ Paul Nyquist,¹ Geoffrey Ling<sup>1,2

1</sup>Division of Neuro Critical Care, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, ²Department of Neurology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA

Abstract: Occlusive vascular diseases, such as sudden coronary syndromes, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease, are a huge burden on the health care systems of developed and developing countries. Tremendous advances have been made over the last few decades in the diagnosis and treatment of atherosclerotic diseases. Intravascular ultrasound has been able to provide detailed information of plaque anatomy and has been used in several studies to assess outcomes. The presence of atherosclerosis disrupts the normal protective mechanism provided by the endothelium and this mechanism has been implicated in the pathophysiology of coronary artery disease and stroke. Efforts are being put into the prevention of atherosclerosis, which has been shown to begin in childhood. This paper reviews the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and discusses the current options available for the prevention and reversal of plaque formation.

Keywords: cardiovascular, atherosclerotic disease, endothelium, plaque, reversal, coronary artery disease, stroke