PET uptake and baseline characteristics
| Total aortic 18F-fluciclatide uptake | |||
| All patients | Stable cohort | Unstable cohort | |
| Continuous variables | |||
| CT calcium score (log10 AU) | r=0.37 (0.08–0.60), p=0.01 | r=0.62 (0.43–0.81), p<0.001 | r=0.20 (−0.28–0.60), p=0.41 |
| Mean wall thickness (% vessel diameter)* | r=0.57 (0.28–0.76), p<0.001 | r=0.18 (−0.26–0.56), p=0.43 | r=0.69 (0.15–0.91), p=0.02 |
| Plaque volume (% total volume)* | r=0.56 (0.26–0.75), p<0.001 | r=0.16 (−0.28–0.55), p=0.47 | r=0.68 (0.13–0.90), p=0.02 |
| Log10 hs-CRP (mg/L) | r=0.18 (−0.14–0.46), p=0.28 | r=0.32 (−0.07–0.62), p=0.10 | r=−0.24 (−0.63–0.24), p=0.06 |
| Categorical variables | |||
| Hypertension (mean TBRmax) | 1.33 (1.19–1.39) vs 1.29 (1.20–1.40), p=0.91 | 1.27 (1.21–1.38) vs 1.33 (1.19–1.38), p=0.90 | |
| Established ischaemic heart disease (mean TBRmax) | 1.34 (1.22–1.42) vs 1.25 (1.19–1.35), p=0.15 | 1.37 (1.37–1.42) vs 1.25 (1.19–1.35), p=0.04 | |
| Hypercholesterolaemia (mean TBRmax) | 1.34 (1.21–1.42) vs 1.27 (1.19–1.34), p=0.17 | 1.36 (1.29–1.41) vs 1.25 (1.19–1.30), p=0.01 | |
| Diabetes mellitus (mean TBRmax) | 1.37 (0.32–0.45) vs 1.29 (1.19–1.38), p=0.09 | 1.37 (1.28–1.58) vs 1.29 (1.19–1.37), p=0.15 | |
| Current smokers (mean TBRmax) | 1.32 (1.24–1.49) vs 1.29 (1.19–1.39), p=0.54 | N too small | |
*18F-Fluciclatide uptake assessed in the descending aorta only, to correspond with CT analysis.
AU, arbitrary units; PET, positron emission tomography; TBR, tissue-to-background ratio; hs-CRP, high sensitivity C-reactive protein.