Author(s)

David S. Schade^*, R. Philip Eaton

Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico, Al-buquerque, NM, USA.

Every cardiovascular clinical trial that has examined the beneficial effects of lowering LDL cholesterol to prevent cardiovascular events has demonstrated residual cardiovascular risk in the interventional treatment group. Residual risk is the term applied to the cardiovascular events (e.g., myocardial infarction, stroke, and cardiovascular death) that occur in spite of being on “optimal” medical therapy. This term is usually applied to secondary intervention studies, i.e., lipid lowering treatments in subjects who have already had at least one cardiovascular event. Studies that described residual risk have attributed it, at least in part, to the fact that the LDLc has not been lowered sufficiently to stop atherosclerotic plaque formation and rupture into the arterial lumen. However, a recent cardiovascular intervention clinical trial which achieved a very low group median LDLc of 30 mg/dl still demonstrated significant residual risk. Of more importance to reducing residual risk may be addressing the ongoing inflammation in the coronary arteries that results in cellular liberation of cytokines and proteases that attack the atherosclerotic plaque’s fibrous cap. Recent studies have shown that inflammation may act independently of LDL to cause cardiovascular events. This article provides evidence that inflammation is the primary cause of residual risk and will need to be treated as aggressively as LDL lowering if CVD events in the post treatment period are to be significantly reduced. Addressing major risk factors including obesity, diabetes, smoking, hypertension and hyperlipidemia are critical to reducing inflammation. Statins and aspirin are the mainstay medications to reduce ongoing inflammation. However, newer pharmaceuticals may also be required to reduce inflammation to undetectable levels. Targeting inflammation to eradicate residual cardiovascular risk will be the next therapeutic challenge facing primary care physicians.

Residual Risk, Inflammation, Cholesterol, C-Reactive Protein, Cardiovascular Events

Schade, D. and Eaton, R. (2018) Residual Cardiovascular Risk—Is Inflammation the Primary Cause?. World Journal of Cardiovascular Diseases, 8, 59-69. doi: 10.4236/wjcd.2018.81007.