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June 19, 2026European Heart JournalOpen Access

Reduction of perivascular inflammation following long-term statin treatment - a coronary CT follow-up study using Fat Attenuation Index

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Key result

High-dose statin therapy linked to a ~22% reduction in LAD coronary inflammation.

  • P=0.04
  • n=23

Why the study?

Perivascular FAI reflects coronary inflammation, but the effect of statin therapy on FAI had not been clearly demonstrated.

Does high-dose statin therapy reduce perivascular inflammation measured by FAI on CCTA in patients with coronary atheromatous plaques?

Population

23 patients with typical chest pain, low-to-intermediate CAD likelihood, and at least one coronary plaque on CCTA

Comparison

Follow-up vs baseline after long-term high-dose statin therapy

Design

Observational follow-up study

Follow-up

1.5 to 3 years

Authors

BMB MatyasIBImre BenedekARA Roşca

Discussion

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Overview

Supports FAI as statin response marker; leaves open translation to cardiovascular outcomes.

Key Points

  • To examine the effect of long-term statin therapy on perivascular fat attenuation index in coronary lesions.
  • Investigated perivascular FAI changes in 23 patients using coronary CT at baseline and follow-up.
  • Statin therapy initiated based on guidelines, with CCTA performed 1.5 to 3 years later.
  • Measured lesion-specific FAI and plaque characteristics using the AI-powered CaRi-Heart® device.
  • Total cholesterol decreased from 193.4 ± 47.09 to 145.2 ± 34.7 (p = 0.04) after statin therapy.
  • FAI-score in the left anterior descending artery decreased from 15.87 ± 9.32 to 12.40 ± 7.55 (p = 0.04).
  • No significant changes in FAI scores for left circumflex and right coronary arteries.

Study Design

Type

Observational (n=23)

Structured PICO

Does high-dose statin therapy reduce perivascular inflammation measured by FAI on CCTA in patients with coronary atheromatous plaques?

P
Population
23 patients with typical chest pain and at least one coronary atheromatous plaque on CCTA, followed for 1.5 to 3 years after initiating high-dose statin therapy.
E
Exposure
High-dose statin therapy initiated according to guidelines
C
Comparator
Baseline (pre-treatment) values
O
Outcome
Changes in lesion-specific perivascular Fat Attenuation Index (FAI) measured by CCTAsurrogate

Main Result

Absolute Event Rate: 12.4% vs 15.87%

p-value: p=0.04

Long-term high-dose statin therapy significantly reduces perivascular inflammation as measured by CCTA-derived FAI-score, particularly in the left anterior descending artery.

Cite This Study

Matyas et al. (2023) conducted an observational in Coronary artery disease (n=23). High-dose statin therapy vs. Baseline (pre-treatment) was evaluated on Changes in perivascular FAI-score in the left anterior descending artery (p=0.04). High-dose statin therapy significantly reduced coronary inflammation, measured by the FAI-score in the left anterior descending artery, from 15.87 at baseline to 12.40 at follow-up (p=0.04).

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a355e07eae82deb18abe84dhttps://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehad655.153
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Assessing the impact of long-term high-dose statin treatment on perivascular inflammation and plaque distribution - a comprehensive coronary CTA follow-up study2024
  2. 2Assessing the Impact of Long-term High-Dose Statin Treatment on Pericoronary Inflammation and Plaque Distribution - a Comprehensive Coronary CTA Follow-up Study2024 · 6 citations
  3. 3Assessing the Impact of Long-Term High-Dose Statin Treatment on Pericoronary Inflammation and Plaque Distribution—A Comprehensive Coronary CTA Follow-Up Study2024 · 27 citations
  4. 4Pericoronary fat attenuation index and its relationship with markers of inflammation and extracellular matrix remodeling in patients with acute coronary syndrome and vulnerable plaque2025
  5. 5Association Between Pericoronary Fat Attenuation Index as Evaluated by Coronary Artery CT Angiography and Clinical Interventions in Lipid Management Among Patients with Coronary Artery Disease2024 · 2 citations