Understanding the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health Effects of Air Pollution in the Context of Cumulative Exposomic Impacts.

Poor air quality accounts for more than 9 million deaths a year globally according to recent estimates. A large portion of these deaths are attributable to cardiovascular causes, with evidence indicating that air pollution may also play an important role in the genesis of key cardiometabolic risk factors. Air pollution is not experienced in isolation but is part of a complex system, influenced by a host of other external environmental exposures, and interacting with intrinsic biologic factors and susceptibility to ultimately determine cardiovascular and metabolic outcomes. Given that the same fossil fuel emission sources that cause climate change also result in air pollution, there is a need for robust approaches that can not only limit climate change but also eliminate air pollution health effects, with an emphasis of protecting the most susceptible but also targeting interventions at the most vulnerable populations. In this review, we summarize the current state of epidemiologic and mechanistic evidence underpinning the association of air pollution with cardiometabolic disease and how complex interactions with other exposures and individual characteristics may modify these associations. We identify gaps in the current literature and suggest emerging approaches for policy makers to holistically approach cardiometabolic health risk and impact assessment.

The Urban Environment and Cardiometabolic Health.

Urban environments contribute substantially to the rising burden of cardiometabolic diseases worldwide. Cities are complex adaptive systems that continually exchange resources, shaping exposures relevant to human health such as air pollution, noise, and chemical exposures. In addition, urban infrastructure and provisioning systems influence multiple domains of health risk, including behaviors, psychological stress, pollution, and nutrition through various pathways (eg, physical inactivity, air pollution, noise, heat stress, food systems, the availability of green space, and contaminant exposures). Beyond cardiometabolic health, city design may also affect climate change through energy and material consumption that share many of the same drivers with cardiometabolic diseases. Integrated spatial planning focusing on developing sustainable compact cities could simultaneously create heart-healthy and environmentally healthy city designs. This article reviews current evidence on the associations between the urban exposome (totality of exposures a person experiences, including environmental, occupational, lifestyle, social, and psychological factors) and cardiometabolic diseases within a systems science framework, and examines urban planning principles (eg, connectivity, density, diversity of land use, destination accessibility, and distance to transit). We highlight critical knowledge gaps regarding built-environment feature thresholds for optimizing cardiometabolic health outcomes. Last, we discuss emerging models and metrics to align urban development with the dual goals of mitigating cardiometabolic diseases while reducing climate change through cross-sector collaboration, governance, and community engagement. This review demonstrates that cities represent crucial settings for implementing policies and interventions to simultaneously tackle the global epidemics of cardiovascular disease and climate change.

Cardiovascular Outcomes Among Patients with Acute Coronary Syndromes and Diabetes: Results from ACS QUIK Trial in India.

Background: Despite cardiovascular disease being the leading cause of death in India, limited data exist regarding the factors associated with outcomes in patients with diabetes who suffer acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods: We examined 21,374 patients with AMI enrolled in the ACS QUIK trial. We compared in-hospital and 30-day major adverse cardiac events including death, re-infarction, stroke, or major bleeding in those with and without diabetes. The associations between diabetes and cardiac outcomes were adjusted for presentation and in-hospital management using logistic regression. Results: Mean ± SD age was 60.1 ± 12.0 years, 24.3% were females, and 44.4% had diabetes. Those with diabetes were more likely to be older, female, hypertensive, and have higher Killip class but less likely to present with STEMI. Patients with diabetes had longer symptoms onset-to-arrival (median 225 vs 290 min; P < 0.001) and, in case of STEMI, longer door-to-balloon times (median, 75 vs 91 min; P < 0.001). Diabetes was independently associated with higher in-hospital death (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.46; 95% CI, 1.12-1.89), in-hospital reinfarction (aOR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.15-2.02), 30-day MACE (aOR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.14-1.55) and 30-day death (aOR, 1.40; 95%CI, 1.16-1.69) but not 30-day stroke or 30-day major bleeding. Conclusion: Among patients presenting with AMI in Kerala, India, a considerable proportion has diabetes and are at increased risk for in-hospital and 30-day adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Increased awareness of the increased cardiovascular risk and attention to the implementation of established cardiovascular therapies are indicated for patients with diabetes in lower-middle-income countries who develop AMI. Clinical Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Unique identifier: NCT02256658.

Outcomes of atherectomy in patients undergoing lower extremity revascularisation.

BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of real-world data on the in-hospital (IH) and post-discharge outcomes in patients undergoing lower extremity peripheral vascular intervention (PVI) with adjunctive atherectomy. AIMS: In this retrospective, registry-based study, we evaluated IH and post-discharge outcomes among patients undergoing PVI, treated with or without atherectomy, in the National Cardiovascular Data Registry PVI Registry. METHODS: The IH composite endpoint included procedural complications, bleeding or thrombosis. The primary out-of-hospital endpoint was major amputation at 1 year. Secondary endpoints included repeat endovascular or surgical revascularisation and death. Multivariable regression was used to identify predictors of atherectomy use and its association with clinical endpoints. RESULTS: A total of 30,847 patients underwent PVI from 2014 to 2019, including 10,971 (35.6%) treated with atherectomy. The unadjusted rate of the IH endpoint occurred in 524 (4.8%) of the procedures involving atherectomy and 1,041 (5.3%) of non-atherectomy procedures (p=0.07). After adjustment, the use of atherectomy was not associated with an increased risk of the combined IH endpoint (p=0.68). In the 6,889 (22.4%) patients with out-of-hospital data, atherectomy was associated with a reduced risk of amputation (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.67, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.51-0.85; p<0.01) and surgical revascularisation (aHR 0.63, 95% CI: 0.44-0.89; p=0.017), no difference in death rates (p=0.10), but an increased risk of endovascular revascularisation (aHR 1.21, 95% CI: 1.06-1.39; p<0.01) at 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: The use of atherectomy during PVI is common and is not associated with an increase in IH adverse events. Longitudinally, patients treated with atherectomy undergo repeat endovascular reintervention more frequently but experience a reduced risk of amputation and surgical revascularisation.

Heat and the Heart.

Globally, more people die from cardiovascular disease than any other cause. Extreme heat can have serious implications for heart health, especially in people with pre-existing cardiovascular conditions. In this review, we examined the relationship between heat and the leading causes of cardiovascular diseases as well as the proposed physiological mechanisms for the deleterious effect of heat on the heart. The body's response to high temperatures, including dehydration, increased metabolic demand, hypercoagulability, electrolyte imbalances, and systemic inflammatory response, can place a significant strain on the heart. Epidemiological studies showed that heat can result in ischemic heart disease, stroke, heart failure, and arrhythmia. However, targeted research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms of hot temperatures on these main causes of cardiovascular disease. Meanwhile, the absence of clinical guidance on how to manage heart diseases during heat events highlights the need for cardiologists and other health professionals to lead the charge in addressing the critical relationship between a warming climate and health.

Sex, Racial, and Ethnic Disparities in Acute Coronary Syndrome: Novel Risk Factors and Recommendations for Earlier Diagnosis to Improve Outcomes.

In this review, sex, racial, and ethnic differences in acute coronary syndromes on a global scale are summarized. The relationship between disparities in presentation and management of acute coronary syndromes and effect on worse clinical outcomes in acute coronary syndromes are discussed. The effect of demographic, geographic, racial, and ethnic factors on acute coronary syndrome care disparities are reviewed. Differences in risk factors including systemic inflammatory disorders and pregnancy-related factors and the pathophysiology underlying them are discussed. Finally, breast arterial calcification and coronary calcium scoring are discussed as methods to detect subclinical atherosclerosis and start early treatment in an attempt to prevent clinical disease.

Extreme heat and work injuries in Kuwait's hot summers.

BACKGROUND: Hot, desert Gulf countries are host to millions of migrant workers doing outdoor jobs such as construction and hospitality. The Gulf countries apply a summertime ban on midday work to protect workers from extreme heat, although without clear evidence of effectiveness. We assessed the risk of occupational injuries associated with extreme hot temperatures during the summertime ban on midday work in Kuwait. METHODS: We collected daily occupational injuries in the summer months that are reported to the Ministry of Health's Occupational Health Department for 5 years from 2015 to 2019. We fitted generalised additive models with a quasi-Poisson distribution in a time series design. A 7-day moving average of daily temperature was modelled with penalised splines adjusted for relative humidity, time trend and day of the week. RESULTS: During the summertime ban, the daily average temperature was 39.4°C (±1.8°C). There were 7.2, 7.6 and 9.4 reported injuries per day in the summer months of June, July and August, respectively. Compared with the 10th percentile of summer temperatures in Kuwait (37.0°C), the average day with a temperature of 39.4°C increased the relative risk of injury to 1.44 (95% CI 1.34 to 1.53). Similarly, temperatures of 40°C and 41°C were associated with relative risks of 1.48 (95% CI 1.39 to 1.59) and 1.44 (95% CI 1.27 to 1.63), respectively. At the 90th percentile (42°C), the risks levelled off (relative risk 1.21; 95% CI 0.93 to 1.57). CONCLUSION: We found substantial increases in the risk of occupational injury from extremely hot temperatures despite the ban on midday work policy in Kuwait. 'Calendar-based' regulations may be inadequate to provide occupational heat protections, especially for migrant workers.

Cardiovascular disease burden attributable to non-optimal temperature: analysis of the 1990-2019 global burden of disease.

AIMS: Extreme temperatures are increasingly experienced as a result of climate change. Both high and low temperatures, impacted by climate change, have been linked with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Global estimates on non-optimal temperature-related CVD are not known. The authors investigated global trends of temperature-related CVD burden over the last three decades. METHODS AND RESULTS: The authors utilized the 1990-2019 global burden of disease methodology to investigate non-optimal temperature, low temperature- and high temperature-related CVD deaths, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) globally. Non-optimal temperatures were defined as above (high temperature) or below (low temperature) the location-specific theoretical minimum-risk exposure level or the temperature associated with the lowest mortality rates. Analyses were later stratified by sociodemographic index (SDI) and world regions. In 2019, non-optimal temperature contributed to 1 194 196 (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 963 816-1 425 090) CVD deaths and 21 799 370 (95% UI: 17 395 761-25 947 499) DALYs. Low temperature contributed to 1 104 200 (95% UI: 897 783-1 326 965) CVD deaths and 19 768 986 (95% UI: 16 039 594-23 925 945) DALYs. High temperature contributed to 93 095 (95% UI: 10 827-158 386) CVD deaths and 2 098 989 (95% UI: 146 158-3 625 564) DALYs. Between 1990 and 2019, CVD deaths related to non-optimal temperature increased by 45% (95% UI: 32-63%), low temperature by 36% (95% UI: 25-48%), and high temperature by 600% (95% UI: -1879-2027%). Non-optimal temperature- and high temperature-related CVD deaths increased more in countries with low income than countries with high income. CONCLUSION: Non-optimal temperatures are significantly associated with global CVD deaths and DALYs, underscoring the significant impact of temperature on public health.

The paper discusses the relationship between non-optimal temperature and cardiovascular disease (CVD) and presents the first-to-date quantification of the global temperature-related CVD burden. Key findings include: Non-optimal temperatures were responsible for a significant proportion of global cardiovascular deaths between 1990 and 2019.People in lower socioeconomic regions were more vulnerable to the effects of non-optimal temperature on CVD than those in higher socioeconomic regions.

Connections Between Air Pollution, Climate Change, and Cardiovascular Health.

Globally, more people die from cardiovascular disease than any other cause. Climate change, through amplified environmental exposures, will promote and contribute to many noncommunicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease. Air pollution, too, is responsible for millions of deaths from cardiovascular disease each year. Although they may appear to be independent, interchangeable relationships and bidirectional cause-and-effect arrows between climate change and air pollution can eventually lead to poor cardiovascular health. In this topical review, we show that climate change and air pollution worsen each other, leading to several ecosystem-mediated effects. We highlight how increases in hot climates as a result of climate change have increased the risk of major air pollution events such as severe wildfires and dust storms. In addition, we show how altered atmospheric chemistry and changing patterns of weather conditions can promote the formation and accumulation of air pollutants: a phenomenon known as the climate penalty. We demonstrate these amplified environmental exposures and their associations to adverse cardiovascular health outcomes. The community of health professionals-and cardiologists, in particular-cannot afford to overlook the risks that climate change and air pollution bring to the public's health.

Associations Between Extreme Temperatures and Cardiovascular Cause-Specific Mortality: Results From 27 Countries.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Existing studies on the association between temperatures and cardiovascular deaths have been limited in geographic zones and have generally considered associations with total cardiovascular deaths rather than cause-specific cardiovascular deaths. METHODS: We used unified data collection protocols within the Multi-Country Multi-City Collaborative Network to assemble a database of daily counts of specific cardiovascular causes of death from 567 cities in 27 countries across 5 continents in overlapping periods ranging from 1979 to 2019. City-specific daily ambient temperatures were obtained from weather stations and climate reanalysis models. To investigate cardiovascular mortality associations with extreme hot and cold temperatures, we fit case-crossover models in each city and then used a mixed-effects meta-analytic framework to pool individual city estimates. Extreme temperature percentiles were compared with the minimum mortality temperature in each location. Excess deaths were calculated for a range of extreme temperature days. RESULTS: The analyses included deaths from any cardiovascular cause (32 154 935), ischemic heart disease (11 745 880), stroke (9 351 312), heart failure (3 673 723), and arrhythmia (670 859). At extreme temperature percentiles, heat (99th percentile) and cold (1st percentile) were associated with higher risk of dying from any cardiovascular cause, ischemic heart disease, stroke, and heart failure as compared to the minimum mortality temperature, which is the temperature associated with least mortality. Across a range of extreme temperatures, hot days (above 97.5th percentile) and cold days (below 2.5th percentile) accounted for 2.2 (95% empirical CI [eCI], 2.1-2.3) and 9.1 (95% eCI, 8.9-9.2) excess deaths for every 1000 cardiovascular deaths, respectively. Heart failure was associated with the highest excess deaths proportion from extreme hot and cold days with 2.6 (95% eCI, 2.4-2.8) and 12.8 (95% eCI, 12.2-13.1) for every 1000 heart failure deaths, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Across a large, multinational sample, exposure to extreme hot and cold temperatures was associated with a greater risk of mortality from multiple common cardiovascular conditions. The intersections between extreme temperatures and cardiovascular health need to be thoroughly characterized in the present day-and especially under a changing climate.

Burden of cardiovascular disease attributable to particulate matter pollution in the eastern Mediterranean region: analysis of the 1990-2019 global burden of disease.

AIMS: Particulate matter pollution is the most important environmental mediator of global cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Air pollution evidence from the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) is limited, owing to scarce local studies, and the omission from multinational studies. We sought to investigate trends of particulate matter (PM2.5)-related cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden in the EMR from 1990 to 2019. METHODS AND RESULTS: We used the 1990-2019 global burden of disease methodology to investigate total PM2.5, ambient PM2.5, and household PM2.5-related CVD deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and cause-specific CVD mortality in the EMR. The average annual population-weighted PM2.5 exposure in EMR region was 50.3 µg/m3 [95% confidence interval (CI):42.7-59.0] in 2019, which was comparable with 199 048.1 µg/m3 (95% CI: 36.5-65.3). This was despite an 80% reduction in household air pollution (HAP) sources since 1990. In 2019, particulate matter pollution contributed to 25.67% (95% CI: 23.55-27.90%) of total CVD deaths and 28.10% (95% CI: 25.75-30.37%) of DALYs in the region, most of which were due to ischaemic heart disease and stroke. We estimated that 353 071 (95% CI: 304 299-404 591) CVD deaths in EMR were attributable to particulate matter in 2019, including 264 877 (95% CI: 218 472-314 057) and 88 194.07 (95% CI: 60 149-119 949) CVD deaths from ambient PM2.5 pollution and HAP from solid fuels, respectively. DALY's in 2019 from CVD attributable to particulate matter was 28.1% when compared with 26.69% in 1990. The age-standardized death and DALY rates attributable to air pollution was 2122 per 100 000 in EMR in 2019 and was higher in males (2340 per 100 000) than in females (1882 per 100 000). CONCLUSION: The EMR region experiences high PM2.5 levels with high regional heterogeneity and attributable burden of CVD due to air pollution. Despite significant reductions of overall HAP in the past 3 decades, there is continued HAP exposure in this region with rising trend in CVD mortality and DALYs attributable to ambient sources. Given the substantial contrast in disease burden, exposures, socio-economic and geo-political constraints in the EMR region, our analysis suggests substantial opportunities for PM2.5 attributable CVD burden mitigation.

Climate change and cardiovascular disease: implications for global health.

Climate change is the greatest existential challenge to planetary and human health and is dictated by a shift in the Earth's weather and air conditions owing to anthropogenic activity. Climate change has resulted not only in extreme temperatures, but also in an increase in the frequency of droughts, wildfires, dust storms, coastal flooding, storm surges and hurricanes, as well as multiple compound and cascading events. The interactions between climate change and health outcomes are diverse and complex and include several exposure pathways that might promote the development of non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease. A collaborative approach is needed to solve this climate crisis, whereby medical professionals, scientific researchers, public health officials and policymakers should work together to mitigate and limit the consequences of global warming. In this Review, we aim to provide an overview of the consequences of climate change on cardiovascular health, which result from direct exposure pathways, such as shifts in ambient temperature, air pollution, forest fires, desert (dust and sand) storms and extreme weather events. We also describe the populations that are most susceptible to the health effects caused by climate change and propose potential mitigation strategies, with an emphasis on collaboration at the scientific, governmental and policy levels.

Diverging levels of COVID-19 governmental response satisfaction across middle eastern Arab countries: a multinational study.

BACKGROUND: Public acceptance of governmental measures are key to controlling the spread of infectious diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a significant burden on healthcare systems for high-income countries as well as low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The ability of LMICs to respond to the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic has been limited and may have affected the impact of governmental strategies to control the spread of COVID-19. This study aimed to evaluate and compare public opinion on the governmental COVID-19 response of high and LMICs in the Middle East and benchmark it to international countries. METHODS: An online, self-administered questionnaire was distributed among different Middle Eastern Arab countries. Participants' demographics and level of satisfaction with governmental responses to COVID-19 were analyzed and reported. Scores were benchmarked against 19 international values. RESULTS: A total of 7395 responses were included. Bahrain scored highest for satisfaction with the governmental response with 38.29 ± 2.93 on a scale of 40, followed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (37.13 ± 3.27), United Arab Emirates (36.56 ± 3.44), Kuwait (35.74 ± 4.85), Jordan (23.08 ± 6.41), and Lebanon (15.39 ± 5.28). Participants' country of residence was a significant predictor of the satisfaction score (P < 0.001), and participants who suffered income reduction due to the pandemic, had a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and held higher educational degrees had significantly lower satisfaction scores (P < 0.001). When benchmarked with other international publics, countries from the Gulf Cooperation Council had the highest satisfaction level, Jordan had an average score, and Lebanon had one of the lowest satisfaction scores. CONCLUSION: The political crisis in Lebanon merged with the existing corruption were associated with the lowest public satisfaction score whereas the economical instability of Jordan placed the country just before the lowest position. On the other hand, the solid economy plus good planning and public trust in the government placed the other countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council on top of the scale. Further investigation is necessary to find out how the governments of other low-income countries may have handled the situation wisely and gained the trust of their publics. This may help convey a clearer picture to Arab governments that have suffered during the pandemic.

Clinical characteristics and cardiovascular outcomes among young patients with acute myocardial infarction in Kerala, India: A secondary analysis of ACS QUIK trial.

Background: Limited data exist on the risk profile and outcomes among young patients with acute myocardial infarction(AMI) in low-and middle-income countries(LMICs). This study explored differences in the clinical characteristics, medical care, and outcomes of AMI in young adults in India with a subanalysis focusing on sex disparities amongst the young. Methods: Using the Acute Coronary Syndrome Quality Improvement in Kerala trial database, we compared baseline characteristics, management, and outcomes amongst the young patients(≤50 years) and their older counterparts. The primary outcomes were the rates of in-hospital and 30-day composite of in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE). Results: Of the 21,374 adults enrolled, 4762(22%) were young, of which 614 (12.9%) were females. Young patients with AMI were more likely to be smokers(41.9% vs. 27.8%;P < 0.001) and undergo coronary angiography (66.3%vs.57.3%;P < 0.001) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)(57.5% vs. 47.0%;P < 0.001), compared to older patients. After adjustment for potential confounders, younger patients had a lower likelihood of in-hospital (RR = 0.49; 95%CI 0.40-0.61;P < 0.001) and 30-day MACE (RR = 0.54; 95%CI 0.46-0.64;P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis comparing young males and females revealed worse cardiovascular risk profile among young women except for smoking. In-hospital MACE(RR = 1.60; 95%CI, 1.0-2.45;P = 0.048) were higher for young women compared to men. Conclusion: Young AMI patients had higher prevalence of modifiable risk factors, were more likely to receive reperfusion therapy, and had better short and intermediate outcomes, compared to older patients. Compared to young men with AMI, young women had worse cardiovascular risk profile, were less likely to be treated with diagnostic angiography or PCI and experienced higher in-hospital death and MACE.

Sex disparities in the presentation, management and outcomes of patients with acute coronary syndrome: insights from the ACS QUIK trial.

AIMS: Our aim was to explore sex differences and inequalities in terms of medical management and cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes in a low/middle-income country (LMIC), where reports are scarce. METHODS: We examined sex differences in presentation, management and clinical outcomes in 21 374 patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in Kerala, India enrolled in the Acute Coronary Syndrome Quality Improvement in Kerala trial. The main outcomes were the rates of in-hospital and 30-day major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) defined as composite of death, reinfarction, stroke and major bleeding. We fitted log Poisson multivariate random effects models to obtain the relative risks comparing women with men, and adjusted for clustering by centre and for age, CVD risk factors and cardiac presentation. RESULTS: A total of 5191 (24.3%) patients were women. Compared with men, women presenting with ACS were older (65±12 vs 58±12 years; p<0.001), more likely to have hypertension and diabetes. They also had longer symptom onset to hospital presentation time (median, 300 vs 238 min; p<0.001) and were less likely to receive primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (45.9% vs 49.8% of men, p<0.001). After adjustment, women were more likely to experience in-hospital (adjusted relative risk (RR)=1.53; 95% CI 1.32 to 1.77; p<0.001) and 30-day MACE (adjusted RR=1.39; 95% CI 1.23 to 1.57, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Women presenting with ACS in Kerala, India had greater burden of CVD risk factors, including hypertension and diabetes mellitus, longer delays in presentation, and were less likely to receive guideline-directed management. Women also had worse in-hospital and 30-day outcomes. Further efforts are needed to understand and reduce cardiovascular care disparities between men and women in LMICs.

Intravascular Molecular Imaging: Near-Infrared Fluorescence as a New Frontier.

Despite exciting advances in structural intravascular imaging [intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT)] that have enabled partial assessment of atheroma burden and high-risk features associated with acute coronary syndromes, structural-based imaging modalities alone do not comprehensively phenotype the complex pathobiology of atherosclerosis. Near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) is an emerging molecular intravascular imaging modality that allows for in vivo visualization of pathobiological and cellular processes at atheroma plaque level, including inflammation, oxidative stress, and abnormal endothelial permeability. Established intravascular NIRF imaging targets include macrophages, cathepsin protease activity, oxidized low-density lipoprotein and abnormal endothelial permeability. Structural and molecular intravascular imaging provide complementary information about plaque microstructure and biology. For this reason, integrated hybrid catheters that combine NIRF-IVUS or NIRF-OCT have been developed to allow co-registration of morphological and molecular processes with a single pullback, as performed for standalone IVUS or OCT. NIRF imaging is approaching application in clinical practice. This will be accelerated by the use of FDA-approved indocyanine green (ICG), which illuminates lipid- and macrophage-rich zones of permeable atheroma. The ability to comprehensively phenotype coronary pathobiology in patients will enable a deeper understanding of plaque pathobiology, improve local and patient-based risk prediction, and usher in a new era of personalized therapy.