Effect of PCSK9 Inhibition in Combination with Statin Therapy on Intracranial Atherosclerotic Stenosis: A High-resolution MRI Study

Introduction: Intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS) is a common cause of stroke worldwide. Evolocumab, a proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type-9 inhibitor (PCSK9i), effectively lowers low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and produces favorable changes in coronary atherosclerosis. This study aimed to determine the effects of PCSK9i on intracranial plaques in moderate-intensity statin-treated individuals with ICAS.

Methods: This prospective, observational study monitored the imaging and clinical outcomes of individuals with ICAS who were consecutively treated with moderate-intensity statins with or without PCSK9i. Individuals underwent monthly visits and repeat high-resolution MRI (HR-MRI) at week 12. The primary outcome was a change in HR-MRI after 12 weeks of treatment and the secondary outcome was major vascular events during follow-up.

Results: Forty-nine individuals were studied (PCSK9i group: 26 individuals with 28 abnormal vascular regions; statin group: 23 with 27 regions). The PCSK9i group showed a significant reduction in the normalized wall index (0.83 vs. 0.86,  = 0.028) and stenosis degree (65.5 vs. 74.2%,  = 0.01). Similarly, a greater percentage of individuals with a good response to the efficacy of treatment were treated in the PCSK9i group than that in the statin group (75 vs. 44.4%,  = 0.021). The incidence of major vascular events was overall similar between the groups. The treatment options (OR = 8.441,  = 0.01) and prior diabetes (OR = 0.061,  = 0.001) were significantly associated with the efficacy of treatment.

Discussion: Statin and PCSK9i combination treatment stabilized intracranial atherosclerotic plaques more often compared to statins alone, as documented by HR-MRI. Further study is warranted to determine if combination treatment improves clinical outcomes in ICAS.