RE:RE:RE:INTERESTING ARTICLE FROM CLEVELAND CLINICInteresting findings about the paradoxical relationship of plaque calicification and plaque stabilization. I don't have anything to add to this
concise, well-written article.
This passage from the article pretty much sums it up:
"The increase in calcification revealed by the analysis may represent a means by which statin therapy stabilizes coronary plaque to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, says the study’s senior investigator, Steven Nissen, MD, who adds that this hypothesis remains to be proved.
“We found that as plaques were getting smaller with statins, they were calcifying,” explains Dr. Nissen, Chairman of the Robert and Suzanne Tomsich Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Cleveland Clinic.
“It’s exactly the opposite of what you might think intuitively,” he continues. “This is an important observation that tells us that statins work to stabilize plaques by converting softer, cholesterol-laden plaques that are prone to rupture into more stable calcified plaques that are relatively inert. It explains the paradox of why serial measurement of calcium doesn’t necessarily work to track the progression of disease, and it explains to some extent how statins work.”"