Association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and carotid artery inflammation evaluated by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography.

We assessed the association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and carotid artery inflammation measured by (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography. Participants were 755 consecutive otherwise healthy adult males who underwent a general health screening program. Carotid FDG uptake, represented as maximum target-to-background ratio, was increased with mild (n = 237; 1.61 ± 0.14; P = .033) and moderate NAFLD (n = 145; 1.63 ± 0.16; P = .005) compared with controls (n = 373; 1.58 ± 0.15). In patients aged >50 years, moderate NAFLD was the only independent risk factor for high carotid FDG uptake (odds ratio, 2.12; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-4.07; P = .001). Apparently healthy adult males with NAFLD have elevated carotid FDG uptake as well as increased carotid intima-media thickness, suggesting that they may be at an increased risk of having inflammatory atherosclerotic plaques in the carotid arteries.