Researchers Observe Asymptomatic Carotid Plaque Healing Mechanisms

Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have observed by non-invasive MR imaging (MRI), a healing mechanism for plaque rupture, a potentially life-threatening event in the cardiovascular system that can result in a fatal heart attack or debilitating stroke. The untimely death of well-known television journalist Tim Russert was due to the sudden rupture of a vulnerable plaque in a critical location in a coronary artery. This study, which was published in the September 2 issue of Circulation, shows that not all plaque ruptures are symptomatic.