Does spotty calcification attenuate the response of nonculprit plaque to statin therapy?: A serial optical coherence tomography study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine if spotty calcification decreases the response of plaque progression to statin therapy.

Background: Previous studies showed that the presence of spotty calcification is a marker of vulnerable plaque. However, the relationship between spotty calcification and plaque progression is not clear.

Methods: Ninety-six nonculprit lipid-rich plaques in 69 patients who received serial optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging were included. Plaques were divided into three groups: spotty calcification (n = 38), calcified (n = 12) and noncalcified (n = 46) plaques. Spotty calcification was identified by the presence of a lesion <4 mm in length with an arc of calcification <90°. Changes in plaque characteristics and fibrous cap thickness (FCT) at 6 and 12 months under statin therapy were analyzed by OCT.

Results: The increase of FCT was sustained from baseline to 6 and 12 months in three groups: spotty calcification (62.8 ± 20.9, 126.4 ± 84.9, and 169.2 ± 81.6 μm, respectively; P < .001), calcified (59.8 ± 17.0, 93.4 ± 51.4, and 155.2 ± 61.7 μm, respectively; P < .001) and noncalcified (60.0 ± 17.2, 125.5 ± 62.1, and 161.0 ± 80.5 μm, respectively; P < .001). Intensive statin induced a greater change in FCT at 12 months than moderate statin in the spotty calcification group (P = 0.034). The mean lipid arc decreased significantly at 12 months from baseline in the three groups (P = 0.004, P = 0.023, and P < .001, respectively).

Conclusions: Statin therapy was effective for plaque stabilization in plaques with and without spotty calcification. Patients with spotty calcification benefitted more from intensive statin than from moderate statin therapy.