Atsushi Yonemura, MD

We showed that a significant reduction in thoracic aortic plaques and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels occurred after 12 months of treatment with atorvastatin. In the abdominal aorta, however, the change in atherosclerotic plaques correlated with age. These results show that plaques in the thoracic and abdominal aortas may respond differently to lipid-lowering therapy, and other factors, such as aging, may be more important for plaque progression in the abdominal aorta.