Assessment of inactive, active and mixed atherosclerotic plaques by 18F-FDG-PET; an age group-based correlation with cardiovascular risk factors.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to assess the atherosclerotic plaques in a large asymptomatic population stratified based on age and sex.


METHODS
[18F]-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG)-PET/CT of 100 men and 100 women, divided in four age groups were examined to assess FDG-accumulating active, calcified inactive and mixed atherosclerotic plaques in eight defined vessel segments.


RESULTS
There was a high correlation between the total number of cardiovascular risk factors and the number of FDG-accumulating active plaques as well as the number of calcified inactive plaques. There was a significant difference in the number of plaques between all age-groups except for active plaques in age groups 60-70 and 80-90 years.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a correlation between the number of cardiovascular risk factors and the number of FDG-accumulating atherosclerotic lesions in this patient material. Statin-treatment was associated with significantly lower numbers of active plaques.
Wassélius
Johan
J
Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, The Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. johan.wasselius@karolinska.se
Larsson
Stig
S
Sundin
Anders
A
Jacobsson
Hans
H
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
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