The relationship between segmental wall shear stress and lipid core plaque derived from near-infrared spectroscopy

Abstract Background and aims Wall shear stress (WSS) has an important role in the natural history of coronary atherosclerosis. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between WSS and the lipid content of atherosclerotic plaques as assessed by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Methods We performed serial NIRS and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) upon Doppler coronary flow guidewire of coronary plaques at baseline and after 12–18 months in 28 patients with Results Segments with LRP at baseline (n = 106) had a higher average WSS (1.4 ± 0.6 N/m 2 ), compared to those without LRP (n = 376) (1.2 ± 0.6 N/m 2 , p vs. 1.1 ± 0.6 N/m 2 , p =0.002). Conversely, in segments with baseline LRP, WSS was lower in those who had regression of lipid content (n = 41) than those who did not (n = 65) (1.2 ± 0.4 vs. 1.6 ± 0.7 N/m 2 , p =0.007). Segments with the highest tertile of WSS displayed greater progression of LCBI irrespective of baseline lipid content ( p p =0.017), PAV ( p p Conclusions Coronary segments with high WSS associate with progression of lipid content over time, which may indicate transformation to a more vulnerable phenotype.