Prospective Management of Plaque Instability With Statins and Extra Folic Acid

NCT07680595 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: PHASE1/PHASE2 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 180

Last updated 2026-07-02

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This is a prospective, exploratory, cohort clinical study aiming to further investigate the direct impact of folic acid on the stability of carotid atherosclerotic plaques, building upon substantial clinical evidence confirming that folic acid supplementation reduces the risk of stroke in hypertensive patients, thereby providing a basis for subsequent confirmatory randomized controlled trials. The study will enroll patients with carotid plaques who have not undergone carotid endarterectomy or stent implantation, with lesions defined-according to the Expert Consensus on Standardized Ultrasound Operation and Reporting of Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaques (2025, Shanghai)-as the presence of at least one site with a carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) ≥ 1.5 mm or visible plaque formation. Participants will be allocated into Cohort 1 (statin therapy) and Cohort 2 (statin therapy plus folic acid); Cohort 1 will receive oral atorvastatin 20 mg daily, while Cohort 2 will receive an additional oral folic acid 5 mg daily on top of the 20 mg oral atorvastatin regimen, both for a continuous duration of 6 months. Statin therapy in both groups will be standardized and managed in accordance with current clinical guidelines, and all subjects will undergo comprehensive evaluations at baseline and after the 6-month intervention. The primary endpoint is the change in carotid plaque thickness at 6 months post-treatment, while secondary endpoints encompass changes in maximum plaque diameter, analysis of plaque composition ratio, and the regulatory effects on serum metabolic markers and the peripheral immune microenvironment, alongside continuous monitoring of treatment-related adverse events throughout the study to comprehensively evaluate overall safety and tolerability.

Conditions

  • Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaque

Interventions

DRUG

Atorvastatin plus folic acid

Patients will receive oral folic acid 5 mg daily plus 20 mg atorvastatin regimen, with both treatments continuing for a duration of 6 months

DRUG

Atorvastatin

Patients will receive 20 mg atorvastatin regimen for a duration of 6 months

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Ruijin Hospital

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
75 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-03-01
Primary Completion
2027-09-01
Completion
2027-12-31

Countries

  • China

Study Locations

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Entities

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07680595 on ClinicalTrials.gov