Medical management of atherosclerosis is based on the controlof its risk factors (dyslipidemia, hypertension, family history,and smoking) and predisposing conditions (e.g., the metabolicsyndrome and diabetes), but no drugs specifically target thearterial plaque. The search is on for therapeutic interventionsthat can act as antiatherosclerosis agents, selectively targetingone or more of the features of the atheroma, such as endothelialdysfunction, inflammation, or foam-cell formation.
Approaches that target arterial plaque through the use of acyl–coenzymeA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) inhibitors have been investigatedexperimentally for two decades. ACAT inhibitors interfere withintracellular cholesterol transport within plaque macrophagesand . . . [Full Text of this Article]
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From the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville.
This article has been cited by other articles:
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[Abstract][Full Text]
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