Effects Of Atorvastatin On Macrophage Activity And Plaque Inflammation Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Inclusion criteria:

• Positive Sinerem®-enhanced MRI of carotid plaque confirmed by a consultant neuroradiologist
• Must either be statin naive or have been on a stable dose of a statin(Permitted statins and total daily dose are as follows: atorvastatin =10mg, simvastatin =40mg, pravastatin =40mg, fluvastatin =80mg, rosuvastatin =10mg for =4 weeks prior to screening, with no evidence of statin intolerability.)

Exclusion criteria:

• Require continued use of non-statin lipid modifying therapies or therapy with any other lipid regulating medications
• History of statin intolerance
• History of chronic viral hepatitis or other liver dysfunction
• Renal impairment with serum creatinine >2.5 mg/dl (>221 mol/L)
• History of myopathy or inflammatory muscle disease, or 3 times more than the upper limit of normal levels of total creatinine kinase in serum
• Doppler assessment of less than 40% stenosis during screening assessment
• Allergy to dextran and iron salts
• Contraindication to MRI scanning
• Planned carotid surgery or endovascular intervention earlier than 10 weeks within the study period