Abstract 18737: Effect of Non-Statin Lipid-Lowering Drug Therapy on Coronary Plaque Composition as Assessed by Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography

Introduction: Statin therapy effectively prevents cardiovascular events. Non-statin lipid-lowering drug therapy (NS-LLDT) is typically used as second-line therapy in patients intolerant to statins. While statin therapy has been shown to increase calcified plaque volume, the effect of NS-LLDT on plaque composition is unknown. Objective: To determine whether NS-LLDT, alone or in combination with statin therapy, affects plaque composition in patients undergoing coronary computed tomography angiography (cCTA). Methods: We analyzed patients enrolled in a prospective, multicenter registry (CONFIRM) of patients undergoing cCTA. Patients with known lipid-lowering therapy status and without previously established coronary artery disease were included in the analysis. Multivariate ordinal regression, adjusted for cardiac risk factors, was performed to determine the effect of lipid-lowering therapy (NS-LLDT, statin, or both) on the number of coronary artery segments (none, 1-2, or >2 segments) with each plaque type ...