Assessment of inactive, active and mixed atherosclerotic plaques by 18F-FDG-PET; an age group-based correlation with cardiovascular risk factors

Abstract

Purpose: 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.