October 20, 2021
View Full PaperAnti-inflammatory Therapeutics and Coronary Artery Disease
Structured PICO
Do anti-inflammatory therapeutics reduce the progression of coronary artery disease in high-risk individuals?
P
Population
Individuals with coronary artery disease, particularly those on optimal medical therapy who continue to be at high risk for adverse cardiovascular events.
I
Intervention
Anti-inflammatory therapeutics including colchicine, canakinumab, VIA-2291, and methotrexate.
O
Outcome
Progression of coronary artery disease and atherosclerosis.
This review highlights the emerging role of anti-inflammatory therapies in reducing cardiovascular risk and halting atherosclerosis progression in patients with coronary artery disease.
Abstract
It has been demonstrated that atherosclerotic disease progression is contingent upon chronic inflammation. The sequence of events leading up to plaque formation, instability, and eventual plaque rupture hinges upon the interaction of proinflammatory cytokines and fat deposition within the coronary vasculature. Over the past decade, a large body of evidence has demonstrated the efficacy of specific anti-inflammatory therapeutics in halting the progression of coronary artery disease. Despite this, these therapeutics have yet to be included in guideline-directed medical therapy regimens. This review will focus on several anti-inflammatories, which have been studied in the context of cardiovascular disease-colchicine, canakinumab, VIA-2291, and methotrexate, and will highlight the potential benefits majority hold in hindering atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease progression. This holds especially true for individuals already on optimal medical therapy who continue to be at high risk for adverse cardiovascular events.