Targeting the residual cardiovascular risk by specific anti-inflammatory interventions as a therapeutic strategy in atherosclerosis.

Chronic subclinical inflammation is a key process in the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Along with lipids, inflammation is essential for the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis with macrophages playing a pivotal role through the induction of oxidative stress and cytokine secretion. Several pro-inflammatory cytokines have been described in the primary and secondary prevention of ASCVD. Although extensive work over the past decades has established the role of lipid-lowering medications in the prevention and treatment of ASCVD, modulation of inflammation is a subject of active debate. It remains to be confirmed whether targeting the residual cardiovascular risk by adding anti-inflammatory agents to the conventional cardiovascular treatment becomes a shifting paradigm for ASCVD management. This review aims to discuss novel therapeutic agents targeting inflammatory pathways in ASCVD in light of the canakinumab anti-inflammatory thrombosis outcomes study (CANTOS) trial results. Further we discuss the effects of different anti-inflammatory agents administered in patients with ASCVD and their potential to change clinical practice in preventive cardiology.