Results from Abbott's PROSPECT Study Provide New Insight into Role of Vulnerable Plaque in Coronary Arte...( non-culprit lesions of the three-vesse...),Health

The event rate, particularly that attributed to vulnerable plaques specifically, was lower than expected. Further, patients who experienced "non-culprit" events in the years following PCI were more likely to present with progressive or unstable angina, and rarely with cardiac death, arrest or MI. Imaging of the lesions that did progress to events suggests that vulnerable plaque lesions with a large plaque burden and large necrotic core without a visible cap were at especially high risk for future adverse cardiovascular events.

"Abbott's PROSPECT trial is the most comprehensive study ever done on vulnerable plaque and the results shed new light on understanding its role in the progression of coronary artery disease," said John M. Capek, executive vice president, medical devices, Abbott. "As a leader in cardiovascular devices, diagnostics and medicines, Abbott looks forward to sharing these results with the vascular community and adding to our understanding of the disease."

About the PROSPECT Trial

Abbott's PROSPECT trial is the first prospective natural history study to examine the role of vulnerable plaque and how it might progress to a cardiac event. PROSPECT used novel intravascular imaging technology to correlate plaque characteristics, patient risk factors and biomarker measurements with subsequent heart attacks and other cardiac events, potentially paving the way for physicians to identify and treat at-risk patients before a heart attack occurs.

PROSPECT enrolled 700 patients from 40 clinical centers across the United States and Europe. All patients received PCI for acute coronary syndrome (ACS), which included unstable angina, NSTEMI or STEMI. Patient follow up continued for three years. Abbott sponso
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