In vivo molecular imaging of cardiac angiogenesis in persons with and without type 2 diabetes: A cross‐sectional 68 Ga‐RGD‐PET study.

Aims: To assess cardiac angiogenesis in type 2 diabetes by positron emission tomography (PET) tracer [68Ga]Ga‐NODAGA‐E[(cRGDyK)]2 (68Ga‐RGD) imaging. Methods: Cross‐sectional study including 20 persons with type 2 diabetes and 10 non‐diabetic controls (CONs). Primary prespecified outcome was difference in cardiac angiogenesis (cardiac 68Ga‐RGD mean target‐to‐background ratio [TBRmean]) between type 2 diabetes and CONs. Secondary outcome was to investigate associations between cardiac angiogenesis and kidney function and other risk factors. Results: Participants with type 2 diabetes had a mean ± SD age of 61 ± 9 years, 30% were women, median (IQR) diabetes duration of 11 (6–19) years and 3 (15%) had a history of cardiovascular disease. The CONs had comparable age and sex distribution to the participants with type 2 diabetes, and none had a history of coronary artery disease. Myocardial flow reserve was lower in type 2 diabetes (2.7 ± 0.6) compared with CONs (3.4 ± 1.2) (p = 0.03) and coronary artery calcium score was higher (562 [142–905] vs. 1 [0–150] p = 0.04). Cardiac 68Ga‐RGD TBRmean was similar in participants with type 2 diabetes (0.89 ± 0.09) and CONs (0.89 ± 0.10) (p = 0.92). Cardiac 68Ga‐RGD TBRmean was not associated with estimated glomerular filtration rate, urine albumin creatinine ratio, cardiovascular disease, coronary artery calcium score or baroreflex sensitivity, neither in pooled analyses nor in type 2 diabetes. Conclusions: Cardiac angiogenesis, evaluated with 68Ga‐RGD PET, was similar in type 2 diabetes and CONs. Cardiac angiogenesis was not associated with kidney function or other risk markers in pooled analyses or in analyses restricted to type 2 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]