Courtney Foster Bibbo

Patients who underwent myocardial perfusion PET/CT and showed evidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease at CT showed a higher risk of coronary microvascular dysfunction, which is an independent risk factor for major adverse cardiac events. Background Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of mortality in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the association of NAFLD with coronary microvascular dysfunction is, to our knowledge, unknown. Purpose To determine whether coronary microvascular dysfunction is more prevalent in patients with NAFLD and to determine whether coronary microvascular dysfunction predicts major adverse cardiac events (MACE) independently of NAFLD. Materials and Methods This retrospective study (2006–2014) included patients without evidence of obstructive epicardial coronary artery disease and healthy left ventricular ejection fraction (≥40%) at a clinical rest and stress myocardial perfusion PET/CT. NAFLD was defined by a mean hepatic attenuation of less than 40 HU at CT and coronary microvascular dysfunction as a coronary flow reserve (CFR) of less than 2.0. A composite of all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization, and hospitalization because of heart failure compri...