International Multicenter Trial on the Prognostic Value of Arterial 18F-FDG PET Imaging in Patients With History of Myocardial Infarction
In order to define distinct and reliable arterial 18Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) thresholds identifying patients at risk for cardiovascular events, patients with a history of myocardial infarction will be included in this international multicenter trial. Non-enhanced whole-body FDG PET/CT will be performed in all patients and the arterial FDG uptake in the carotid arteries as well as the aorta will be quantified by calculating different uptake parameters. In addition, FDG uptake in hematopoietic tissues (spleen, bone marrow), visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and different brain regions (e. g. amygdala) will be measured. Furthermore, specific blood biomarkers including genetic biomarkers, which are linked to atherosclerotic disease with predictive power for future cardiovascular events, will be analyzed in a subgroup of patients. In part 2 of the trial, a 4-year follow-up period will be analyzed with a focus on the prediction of cardiovascular events (acute coronary syndrome, non-fatal ischemic stroke, ischemic cardiac death, other causes of death, coronary/vascular revascularization, new-onset of angina, symptomatic peripheral arterial disease and heart failure). The predictive value of the arterial, hematopoietic and cerebral FDG uptake parameters as well as of the specific blood and genetic biomarkers will be determined.
• Willing and able to provide written informed consent
• Patients 18-80 years of age
• Patients with documented myocardial infarction \> 90 days before study inclusion
• Clinically stable at the time of screening and able to tolerate the study procedure
• Female patients must not be pregnant at the time of FDG PET/CT imaging
• Patients included in other clinical trials could be included, provided this complies with specific local and research center requirements
• If after 6 months of patient recruitment it is foreseeable that the target number of patients will not be reached, patients who undergo FDG PET/CT imaging for cancer screening or surveillance can be included, provided that they have no evidence of an active malignancy on the scan or other exclusion criteria as listed below at study entry, including recent radio- and / or chemotherapy (≥ 12 months before the FDG PET/CT)