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Regression of Atherosclerosis in Man: Current Data and Their Methodological Limitations

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Regression of Atherosclerotic Lesions

Abstract

The current technology with greatest precision and statistical efficiency for studying the natural course of coronary atherosclerosis is the quantitative analysis of lesion change from serial arteriograms. We have performed serial computer-assisted measurements of virtually all atherosclerotic lesions in 47 patients who were prospectively enrolled and electively recatheterized 18 months after the initial, clinically indicated, arteriogram. There were 629 coronary segments analyzed, representing the entire spectrum of minimal-to-severe atherosclerosis. The frequency distribution of change in the “percent stenosis” parameter was a bell-shaped curve centered at 1.6% (average progression in 18 months), with a standard deviation of ± 8%. Using three standard deviations of the shortterm variability of the method as a criterion for “true” lesion change, we found that 12% of all lesions progressed and 4% regressed (improved by at least 10.2% in percent stenosis). The probability of lesion change is most strongly affected by initial lesion severity and, to a lesser extent, by patient age and by hyperlipidemia. Regression thus occurred about one-third as frequently and was of lesser magnitude than progression.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine, and Cardiovascular Research & Training, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA

    B. Greg Brown, Edward L. Bolson, Cynthia D. Pierce, Robert B. Peterson & Harold T. Dodge

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  1. B. Greg Brown
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  2. Edward L. Bolson
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  3. Cynthia D. Pierce
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  4. Robert B. Peterson
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  5. Harold T. Dodge
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Oregon Regional Primate Research Center, Beaverton, Oregon, USA

    M. Rene Malinow

  2. Department of Clinical Chemistry, A. Z. St. Jan Hospital, Brugge, Belgium

    Victor H. Blaton

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© 1984 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Brown, B.G., Bolson, E.L., Pierce, C.D., Peterson, R.B., Dodge, H.T. (1984). Regression of Atherosclerosis in Man: Current Data and Their Methodological Limitations. In: Malinow, M.R., Blaton, V.H. (eds) Regression of Atherosclerotic Lesions. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-1773-0_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-1773-0_19

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-1775-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-1773-0

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