February, 2012

YELLOW I

Changes in Plaque Lipid Content After Short-Term Intensive Versus Standard Statin Therapy

Clinical Trial

ClinicalTrials.gov
Main JACC Publication

The YELLOW trial investigated the short-term effects of rosuvastatin, compared to standard treatment, on reducing lipid content in severely obstructive coronary lesions (FFR ≤ .80). Lipid content changes were measured using NIRS and IVUS imaging. Intensive statin therapy demonstrated a significant reduction in lipid levels, while standard therapy showed minimal impact. These findings align with prior studies on nonobstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), suggesting that lipid-core content in obstructive lesions can decrease rapidly with intensive therapy over a short period (6-8 weeks). Unlike IVUS, which is better suited for assessing atheroma volume, NIRS proved more effective for evaluating lipid levels within coronary plaques.