A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, method and/or computer readable medium is configured reduce specific absorption rate (SAR) in Fast Advanced Spin Echo (FASE) or Single-shot Fast Spin Echo (SS-FSE) imaging used, for example, in non-contrast magnetic resonance angiography (NC-MRA) techniques like fresh blood imaging (FBI). Within RF pulse sequences used to acquire echo data, the refocusing flip angles may be varied in the phase encode direction, and/slice encode direction, such that the refocusing pulse (or pulses) that map echo signals to the k-space center region larger refocusing flip angles than refocusing pulses used to generate echo signals that map to other areas of k-space. In some instances, the TR interval also may be varied for RF pulse sequences such that central K-space have a longer TR than the slices further towards the ends.