Effect of Intensive Lipid-Lowering Therapy on Coronary Atherosclerotic Plaque Progression in Young and Middle-Aged Patients With Chronic Coronary Syndrome

Coronary artery disease (CAD) remains the leading cause of mortality worldwide, driven predominantly by the intricate dynamics between lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis. In recent years, the incidence of CAD among middle-aged and young patients has been increasing rapidly, with high-risk of recurrent cardiovascular adverse events. Inadequate lipid control is a significant contributing factor to the progession of CAD. 2024 ESC Guidelines for the managementof chronic coronary syndromes (CCS) and 2024 Chinese guidelines for the diagnosis and management of patients with chronic coronary syndrome highlight the importance of moderate-intensity lipid-lowering therapy control for patients with CCS, goal for LDL-C \<1.4 mmol/L or 1.8mmol/L, respectively, and ≥50% reduction frome baseline. The Progression of Early Subclinical Atherosclerosis (PESA) study showed that among individuals with subclinical atherosclerotic plaques, the proportion of plaque regression was highest in young and middle-aged patients, and lower LDL-C levels significantly increased the likelihood of plaque regression. However, for young and middle-aged patients with chronic coronary syndrome, there remains a lack of definitive research data on the effects of intensive lipid-lowering therapy on coronary plaque progession. CCTA-based noninvasive methods can accurately and sensitively identify and quantify coronary plaque characteristics, providing detailed information about plaque composition, volume, and morphology. This advanced imaging technology allows for precise assessment of high-risk plaque features, such as positive remodeling, low-attenuation plaques, and spotty calcifications, which are critical for evaluating the risk of future adverse cardiovascular events. Additionally, CCTA offers the advantage of longitudinal monitoring, enabling the evaluation of plaque progression or regression in response to lipid-lowering therapy. This prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded endpoint trial will randomize about 766 participantis aged between 18 and 60 years with with non-invasively managed chronic coronary syndrome (at least one lesion with a 50%-70% stenosis) into the intervention group (goal for LDL-C \<1.0 mmol/ and ≥50% reduction frome baseline) and the control group (goal for LDL-C \<1.8 mmol/L and ≥50% reduction frome baseline). The aim of this study is to assess the role of intensive lipid-lowering control in delaying plaque progression, especially non-calcified plaques identified by CCTA.