Neoatherosclerosis is a major mechanism of late stent failure and contributes to adverse cardiac events after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation. Although achieving low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) target levels is known to slow plaque progression in native coronary arteries, its role in reducing neoatherosclerosis remains uncertain. To address this question, researchers examined whether attainment of guideline-recommended LDL-C levels was associated with a lower risk of neoatherosclerosis in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who underwent DES implantation.
The analysis included 239 patients with STEMI, with neoatherosclerosis assessed three years after percutaneous coronary intervention. Patients who achieved the target LDL-C level had a significantly lower prevalence of neoatherosclerosis compared with those who did not (7% vs 15%). The…
