The technique uses sodium fluoride PET imaging to identify calcified areas on coronary plaques, which are an indication that the plaque is inflamed and vulnerable to bursting.
The analysis showed that vessel-specific coronary atherosclerotic plaque activity is associated with MI within the same coronary artery territory and that increased coronary atherosclerotic plaque activity is predominantly seen in coronary arteries without residual obstructive lesions.
Previous results from that study showed that increased total coronary atherosclerotic plaque activity determined by 18F-sodium fluoride uptake across the entire coronary arterial tree is associated with a higher risk for cardiac death or MI, independent of obstructive coronary artery disease.
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/pet-imaging-finds-vulnerable-plaques-cause-mi-2024a1000cm2