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. 2018 Jul-Aug;12(4):948-957.
doi: 10.1016/j.jacl.2018.04.003. Epub 2018 Apr 17.

Coronary computed tomographic angiography findings and their therapeutic implications in asymptomatic patients with familial hypercholesterolemia. Lessons from the SAFEHEART study

Leopoldo Pérez de Isla  1 , Rodrigo Alonso  2 , Ovidio Muñiz-Grijalvo  3 , José Luis Díaz-Díaz  4 , Daniel Zambón  5 , José Pablo Miramontes  6 , Francisco Fuentes  7 , José Juan Gómez de Diego  8 , Aurora González-Estrada  3 , Nelva Mata  9 , Adriana Saltijeral  10 , Manuel Barreiro  11 , Marta Tomás  12 , Raimundo de Andrés  13 , Rosa Argüeso  14 , Maria Pilar Serrano Gotarredona  15 , Silvia Navarro Herrero  15 , Rosario J Perea Palazón  16 , Teresa M de Caralt  16 , Luisa Arrojo Suárez de Centi  17 , Svetlana Zhilina  6 , Simona Espejo Pérez  18 , Teresa Padró  19 , Pedro Mata  20 ; SAFEHEART investigators
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Coronary computed tomographic angiography findings and their therapeutic implications in asymptomatic patients with familial hypercholesterolemia. Lessons from the SAFEHEART study

Leopoldo Pérez de Isla et al. J Clin Lipidol. 2018 Jul-Aug.

Abstract

Background: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) confers an increased risk of premature atherosclerotic disease. Coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA) can assess preclinical coronary atherosclerosis.

Objectives: To describe coronary CTA findings in asymptomatic molecularly defined FH individuals, to identify those factors related to its presence and extension, and to assess the impact of these results in patients' care and estimated risk.

Methods: Four hundred and forty individuals with FH, without clinical cardiovascular disease, were consecutively enrolled and underwent a coronary CTA that was used to analyze coronary atherosclerosis based on coronary calcium score (CCS), sum of stenosis severity, and plaque composition sum (PCS). For FH patients, cardiovascular risk was estimated using the specific SAFEHEART risk equation. Follow-up was performed using a standardized protocol.

Results: Mean age was 46.4 years (231 women, 52%). Coronary calcium was present in 55%, mean CCS was 130.9, 46% had a plaque with lumen involvement, and mean PCS was 1.1. During follow-up, there were 17 (4%) nonfatal events and 2 (1%) fatal events. CCS was independently associated to the estimated risk and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol life-years, sum of stenosis severity to the estimated risk, and PCS to the estimated risk and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol life-years. CTA findings induced a positive change in patients' care and in their estimated risk.

Conclusion: Coronary artery atherosclerosis is highly prevalent in asymptomatic patients with FH and it is independently associated to cardiovascular risk. More advanced disease on CTA was associated with subsequent intensification of therapy and reduction of estimated risk. Further longitudinal studies are required to know if these findings might improve the risk stratification in patients with FH.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02693548.

Keywords: Coronary CTA; Coronary artery disease; Familial hypercholesterolemia; Prognosis.

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