MRI scans may help doctors determine if patients benefit from cholesterol-lowering medications

A prescription to buy Lipitor is one of the most effective therapies a doctor can provide to a person with high cholesterol. However, it may take some time for doctors to find the precise dose that is appropriate for an individual. A new study suggests that MRI technology may be useful in this process.

The Loyola University researchers who conducted the study said that conventional cardiovascular imaging techniques like angiograms and ultrasounds can show whether or not plaque has formed blockages in arteries but they offer little specific data. This can be a problem because plaque does not always consist entirely of cholesterol.

Their study showed that MRIs were capable of determining the exact percentage of cholesterol that comprises plaque buildups. This could give doctors a better idea of how their patients are responding to a prescription to buy Lipitor and may indicate a need to increase or decrease dosage.

"In the future, MRI scans may become important and powerful tools to see how medication therapy is working inside arteries," said Dr. Binh An Phan, who led the study.