Table 1 Demographic characteristics of the included studies

Year

2012

2012

2009

2013

2012

2009

2012

2014

2013

Location

USA

China

Korea

Korea

Hong Kong

Japan

Japan

USA

Japan

Design

Pilot study on consecutive patients treated with atorvastatin

Randomized placebo-controlled parallel group trial

Randomized parallel group trial

Prospective study on patients treated with statin

Prospective randomized double-blind parallel group trial

Prospective and multicenter study with non-randomized and no blinded design

Prospective, open-labeled, randomized, multicenter study

Randomized parallel-group trial

Prospective, non-randomized, non-controlled and open-label trial

Duration of study

6 months

6 months

12 months

6 months

6 months

12 months

8 months

24 months

8–10 months

Inclusion criteria

Patients with an abnormal non-invasive stress test, stable angina or stabilized acute coronary syndrome who were found to have moderate lesions requiring invasive physiologic evaluation

Coronary heart disease patients with stable atherosclerotic plaques

Patients with de novo non-culprit/non-target lesions without significant stenosis by coronary angiogram (diameter stenosis <50 %), lesions with a plaque burden <0.75 by gray-scale IVUS, and lesions located in 1 of 3 major epicardial arteries in which stent implantation was not performed

Patients with acute coronary syndrome

Statin-naive patients free from unstable angina >8 weeks before intervention or acute coronary syndrome and with angiographic critical coronary stenosis requiring percutaneous coronary intervention

Patients older than 30 years of age with symptomatic stable angina pectoris. Angiographic inclusion criteria: 1) target vessel for VH-IVUS interrogation must not have undergone angioplasty or have more than 50 % luminal narrowing throughout a target segment with a minimum length of 30 mm; 2) target vessel for VH-IVUS interrogation had mild-to-moderate vessel tortuosity and calcification for safe and accurate examination; and 3) left ventricular ejection fraction >30 %

Patients with stable and unstable angina after successful percutaneous coronary intervention

Patients with angiographically demonstrable coronary disease and LDL-C <116 mg/dL, following a 2-week treatment period with atorvastatin (40 mg) or rosuvastatin (20 mg) daily

Patients with acute coronary syndrome defined as unstable angina of Braunwald class IIIB (angina at rest without increased levels of the creatine kinase-MB fraction within 24 hours before coronary angiography), non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, or ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

Statin form

Atorvastatin

Atorvastatin

Simvastatin or rosuvastatin

NS

Atorvastatin

Fluvastatin

Pitavastatin or pravastatin

Rosuvastatin or atorvastatin

Atorvastatin or pitavastatin

Statin intervention

80 mg/day

10–80 mg/day

20 mg/day or 10 mg/day

NS

10–40 mg/day

60 mg/day

4 mg/day or 20 mg/day

40 mg/day or 80 mg/day

10 mg/day or 2 mg/day

Participants

Intervention

20

47^a

50^e

54

19^a

40

58^g

36ⁱ

60^a

45^b

43^c

50^f

20^c

61^h

35^d

60^j

39^d

Control

-

54

-

-

-

39

-

-

Age (years)

Intervention

54 (46–68)

62.64 ± 12.0^a

58 ± 10^e

59 ± 10

65.05 ± 9.99^a

63 ± 10

66 ± 9^g

57.6 ± 9.0**

65.8 ± 16.2^#

59.18 ± 8.48^b

58.91 ± 12.90^c

59 ± 9^f

63.70 ± 9.80^c

67 ± 11^h

63.7 ± 16.5^##

58.95 ± 9.68^d

Control

-

62.07 ± 8.51

-

-

-

62 ± 12

-

-

-

Male (%)

Intervention

65.0

88.88^a

80.0^e

70.37

73.68^a

80.0

89.65^g

80.3**

76.6^#

85.10^b

80.0^c

74.0^f

90.0^c

77.05^h

69.2^##

95.35^d

Control

-

87.18

-

-

-

77.5

-

-

-

BMI (kg/m²)

Intervention

30 (27–36)

NS^a

NS^e

NS

26.83 ± 6.85^a

NS

24.4 ± 3.5^g

28.6 ± 4.5**

24.0 ± 2.5^#

NS^b

NS^c

NS^f

26.58 ± 5.44^c

24.5 ± 3.3^h

24.2 ± 2.7^##

NS^d

Control

-

NS

-

-

-

NS

-

-

-

hs-CRP (mg/L)

Intervention

NS

6.04 ± 2.52^a

0.17 ± 0.22^e

3.18 ± 5.29

NS^a

2.05 ± 2.20

3.76 (1.22–9.22)^g

1.4 (0.7–2.7)**

NS^#

5.09 ± 1.94^b

5.67 ± 2.22^c

0.21 ± 0.20^f

NS^c

4.23 (1.21–9.26)^h

NS^##

6.10 ± 2.12^d

Control

-

5.07 ± 1.80

-

-

-

1.19 ± 1.03

-

-

-

Total cholesterol (mg/dL)

Intervention

186.0 (168.0–212.5)

NS^a

191 ± 34^e

195.0 ± 35.9

200.58 ± 41.54^a

239.1 ± 32.8

199 ± 34^g

203.1 ± 38**

NS^#

NS^b

NS^c

189 ± 27^f

184.17 ± 29.27^c

210 ± 38^h

NS^##

NS^d

Control

-

NS

-

-

-

199.5 ± 22.8

-

-

-

LDL-C (mg/dL)

Intervention

118.5 (105.3–140.5)

116.96 ± 27.02^a

119 ± 30^e

119.7 ± 31.4

122.39 ± 39.54^a

144.9 ± 31.5

126 ± 28^g

128.6 ± 30.7**

117.3 ± 34.7^#

112.71 ± 23.93^b

111.94 ± 13.12^c

116 ± 28^f

112.35 ± 27.14^c

137 ± 35^h

116.2 ± 26.7^##

109.24 ± 25.48^d

Control

-

113.48 ± 27.79

-

-

-

122.3 ± 18.9

-

-

-

HDL-C (mg/dL)

Intervention

39.5 (33.3–52.8)

34.74 ± 6.56^a

43 ± 10^e

38.9 ± 8.5

41.47 ± 9.46^a

52.7 ± 12.4

46 ± 11^g

44.7 ± 11.0**

46.8 ± 10.9^#

35.90 ± 7.72^b

37.44 ± 9.26^c

43 ± 11^f

42.82 ± 17.45^c

47 ± 11^h

46.5 ± 11.4^##

34.74 ± 5.02^d

Control

-

37.06 ± 6.95

-

-

-

54.3 ± 17.8

-

-

-

Triglycerides (mg/dL)

Intervention

115.5 (83.5–158.8)

NS^a

149 ± 69^e

178.5 ± 126.1

168.58 ± 96.19^a

200.6 ± 125.4

129 ± 73^g

130 (99–191)**

115.6 ± 22.6^#

NS^b

NS^c

152 ± 75^f

154.42 ± 1.02^c

134 ± 58^h

119.9 ± 35.2^##

NS^d

Control

-

NS

-

-

-

122.8 ± 50.1

-

-

Glucose (mg/dL)

Intervention

NS

103.14 ± 18.0^a

NS^e

NS

NS^a

NS

NS^g

NS**

NS^#

102.96 ± 14.76^b

90.0 ± 14.94^c

NS^f

NS^c

NS^h

NS^##

101.34 ± 17.46^d

Control

-

94.68 ± 17.64

-

NS

-

NS

-

-

-

SBP (mmHg)

Intervention

129 (114–145)

NS^a

NS^e

NS

NS^a

NS

NS^g

NS**

NS^#

NS^b

NS^c

NS^f

NS^c

NS^h

NS^##

NS^d

Control

-

NS

-

-

-

NS

-

-

-

DBP (mmHg)

Intervention

72 (68–83)

NS^a

NS^e

NS

NS^a

NS

NS^g

NS**

NS^#

NS^b

NS^c

NS^f

NS^c

NS^h

NS^##

NS^d

Control

-

NS

-

-

-

NS

-

-

-

Plaque volume (mm³)

Intervention

308.8 (236.8–432.6)

38.07 ± 13.94^a

88.3 ± 26.9^e

76.1 ± 32.1

98.47 ± 70.84^a

440.2 ± 220.3

9.06 ± 2.90^g*

146.0 ± 55.6**

10.2 ± 3.0^#*

33.83 ± 10.56^b

37.06 ± 12.01^c

91.5 ± 27.5^f

144.17 ± 154.46^c

8.83 ± 3.67^h*

9.9 ± 2.9^##*

36.47 ± 14.68^d

Control

-

34.83 ± 13.76

-

-

-

432.9 ± 247.5

-

-

-

Lumen volume (mm³)

Intervention

427.3 (310.9–703.7)

NS^a

85.2 ± 20.4^e

70.5 ± 24.1

NS^a

373.7 ± 188.4

7.40 ± 2.55^g*

214.9 ± 71.5**

6.6^#*^§

NS^b

NS^c

87.6 ± 26.2^f

NS^c

7.42 ± 2.66^h*

8.0 ± 2.8^##*

NS^d

Control

-

NS

-

-

-

444.7 ± 233.5

-

-

-

External elastic membrane volume (mm³)

Intervention

830.9 (606.8–1,080.1)

NS^a

173.5 ± 37.1^e

146.6 ± 52.3

NS^a

813.9 ± 398.5

16.46 ± 4.98^g*

360.9 ± 108.8**

16.8 ± 4.6^#*

NS^b

NS^c

179.1 ± 46.6^f

NS^c

16.25 ± 5.63^h*

17.9 ± 5.0^##*

NS^d

Control

-

NS

-

-

-

877.6 ± 458.3

-

-

-

Fibrous volume (mm³)

Intervention

89.9 (67.1–123.9)

NS^a

25.6 ± 12.7^e

27.7 ± 15.6

37.04 ± 30.41^a

146.5 ± 85.6

3.46 ± 1.65^g*

18.5 (9.8–29.3)**

5.9 ± 2.6^#*

NS^b

NS^c

28.2 ± 14.4^f

54.90 ± 58.05^c

3.13 ± 1.98^h*

5.8 ± 2.3^##*

NS^d

Control

-

NS

-

-

-

142.9 ± 113.3

-

-

-

Fibro-fatty volume (mm³)

Intervention

10.6 (6.4–27.9)

NS^a

4.1 ± 2.9^e

4.5 ± 3.9

9.76 ± 9.80^a

80.1 ± 57.9

1.09 ± 0.88^g*

23.1 (8.8–36.3)**

1.5 ± 1.1^#*

NS^b

NS^c

4.5 ± 4.0^f

19.39 ± 36.04^c

1.05 ± 1.03^h*

0.7 ± 0.6^##*

NS^d

Control

-

NS

-

-

-

50.7 ± 32.9

-

-

-

Dense calcium volume (mm³)

Intervention

10.5 (4.0–20.9)

NS^a

6.5 ± 6.3^e

4.2 ± 3.2

3.18 ± 3.44^a

9.4 ± 9.9

0.42 ± 0.35^g*

1.2 (0.2–3.8)**

0.6^#*^§

NS^b

NS^c

6.8 ± 6.4^f

4.85 ± 7.68^c

0.44 ± 0.47^h*

0.6^##*^§

NS^d

Control

-

NS

-

-

-

13.7 ± 12.7

-

-

-

Necrotic core volume (mm³)

Intervention

30.8 (13.9–48.2)

NS^a

15.8 ± 11.3^e

8.7 ± 6.4

7.91 ± 7.47^a

21.4 ± 24.9

0.68 ± 0.42^g*

5.9 (2.6–12.3)**

1.6 ± 0.9^#*

NS^b

NS^c

15.5 ± 8.4^f

11.89 ± 18.72^c

0.80 ± 0.66^h*

2.1 ± 1.4^##*

NS^d

Control

-

NS

-

-

-

22.1 ± 17.4

-

-

-