Table 2 Main PET/CT data extracted from the analysis of blood and the proximal half of thoracic aorta of the overall population, with the corresponding age-stratified comparisons between young (≤ 40 years old), middle-aged (41 to 60 years old), and older (> 60 years old) adults

Blood SUVmean

1.78 [1.53–2.07]

1.54 [1.41–1.71]

1.85 [1.54–2.10] *

1.85 [1.68–2.11]*

Aorta volume (cm³/m²)

43 [28–62]

25 [20–28]

41 [30–48] *

62 [44–70]*†

Aorta calcification volume (cm³)

0.05 [0.00–0.81]

0.00 [0.00–0.00]

0.00 [0.00–0.12]

0.81 [0.27–2.19]*†

Aorta SUVmax

2.98 [2.54–3.35]

2.61 [2.43–3.26]

2.98 [2.54–3.36]

3.07 [2.80–3.57]

Aorta SUVmean

1.84 [1.64–2.04]

1.68 [1.47–1.83]

1.90 [1.64–2.12]

1.88 [1.72–1.99]*

Aorta SUV-SD

0.26 [0.23–0.30]

0.22 [0.19–0.24]

0.26 [0.23–0.28]

0.27 [0.25–0.34]*

Aorta TBRmax

1.62 [1.52–1.82]

1.65 [1.60–1.77]

1.62 [1.55–1.73]

1.57 [1.48–1.86]

Aorta TBRmean

1.03 [0.98–1.09]

1.09 [1.05–1.13]

1.05 [0.99–1.13]

1.00 [0.94–1.05]*