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Published in: Journal of Nuclear Cardiology 3/2017

01-06-2017 | Original Article

Hepatic FDG uptake is associated with future cardiovascular events in asymptomatic individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Authors: Seung Hwan Moon, MD, PhD, Sun-pyo Hong, MD, Young Seok Cho, MD, PhD, Tae Soo Noh, BA, Joon Young Choi, MD, PhD, Byung-Tae Kim, MD, PhD, Kyung-Han Lee, MD, PhD

Published in: Journal of Nuclear Cardiology | Issue 3/2017

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Abstract

Background

Hepatic F-18 fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG) uptake is associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) which is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, the value of hepatic FDG uptake for predicting future cardiovascular events has not been explored.

Methods and Results

Study participants were 815 consecutive asymptomatic participants who underwent a health screening program that included FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), abdominal ultrasonography, and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) measurements (age 51.8 ± 6.0 year; males 93.9%). We measured hepatic FDG uptake and assessed the prognostic significance of this parameter with other cardiovascular risk factors including Framingham risk score and CIMT. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analyses including all study participants revealed that NAFLD with high-hepatic FDG uptake was the only independent predictor for future cardiovascular events [hazard ratio (HR) 4.23; 95% CI 1.05-17.04; P = .043). Subgroup analysis conducted in the NAFLD group showed that high-hepatic FDG uptake was a significant independent predictor of cardiovascular events (HR 9.29; 95% CI 1.05-81.04; P = .045).

Conclusions

This exploratory study suggests that high-hepatic FDG uptake may be a useful prognostic factor for cardiovascular events in individuals with NAFLD.
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Metadata
Title
Hepatic FDG uptake is associated with future cardiovascular events in asymptomatic individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors
Seung Hwan Moon, MD, PhD
Sun-pyo Hong, MD
Young Seok Cho, MD, PhD
Tae Soo Noh, BA
Joon Young Choi, MD, PhD
Byung-Tae Kim, MD, PhD
Kyung-Han Lee, MD, PhD
Publication date
01-06-2017
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Journal of Nuclear Cardiology / Issue 3/2017
Print ISSN: 1071-3581
Electronic ISSN: 1532-6551
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12350-015-0297-y

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