Journal Article Ahead of print
PubMed: 42669101 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-026-08135-3
Time-dependent prognostic value of coronary plaque burden and hyperemic myocardial blood flow.
Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging
Authors: Jorge Dahdal, Teemu Maaniitty, Ruurt A Jukema, Nick S Nurmohamed, Pieter G Raijmakers, Roel S Driessen, Matias Mäenpää, Sarah Bär, R Nils Planken, Niels van Royen, Jeroen J Bax, Antti Saraste, Saloua El Messaoudi, Juhani Knuuti, Paul Knaapen, Ibrahim Danad
Affiliations
- Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
- Departamento de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, Clínica Alemana Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile.
- Turku PET Centre, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
- Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine and PET, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
- Department of Radiology, St. Paul's Hospital and University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
- Department of Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
- Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and PET Research, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
- Department of Cardiology, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland.
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
- Department of Cardiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
- Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
- Heart Center, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
- Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
- Department of Cardiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Abstract
RATIONALE
The time-dependent contributions of coronary atherosclerotic plaque burden and myocardial ischemia to clinical outcomes in suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) remain uncertain. This study aimed to evaluate the temporal associations of quantitatively assessed plaque burden and ischemia with cardiovascular events.
METHODS
We studied 1,385 patients with suspected CAD who underwent coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) and [ 15O]H₂O positron emission tomography (PET) perfusion imaging. Plaque burden was measured as percent atheroma volume (PAV) using AI-based CCTA analysis. Myocardial perfusion was evaluated by regional hyperemic myocardial blood flow (hMBF) using PET. Adjusted Cox regression models, including both PAV and hMBF, were used to assess associations with a composite outcome (death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, unstable angina) at 3, 6, and 9 years.
RESULTS
The median follow-up time was 7.1 years, during which 185 patients (13.4%) experienced the outcome. Higher per-patient PAV (per 1%) was consistently and independently associated with increased event rate across all three timepoints (aHR 1.035-1.047, all p < 0.001). Lower regional hMBF (per 0.1 mL/min/g) was independently associated with events at 3 years (aHR 1.050, p = 0.004) and 6 years (aHR 1.028, p = 0.024), but not at 9 years (aHR 1.020, p = 0.063). After excluding early revascularization patients, regional hMBF remained associated with outcomes at all timepoints.
CONCLUSIONS
Plaque burden and regional hMBF are independent markers of cardiovascular risk. Plaque burden remained consistently associated with adverse clinical outcomes throughout follow-up, whereas regional hMBF was primarily related to short- and intermediate-term events, likely influenced by the effects of myocardial revascularization.
MeSH
Blood, Tomography, Nuclear Medicine, Blood Circulation, Ischemia