Abstract
Objective
To examine the correlations between intra-hepatic and intra-thoracic (total, epicardial,
and pericardial) fat deposition with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and
subclinical atherosclerosis burden in healthy, recently postmenopausal women.
Methods
Women screened for the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (mean age 52.9 years)
who underwent electron beam or multidetector computed tomography (CT) imaging for
the quantification of intra-hepatic fat and thoracic adipose tissue, and coronary
artery calcification (CAC) were included (n = 650).
Results
Higher levels of intra-hepatic and thoracic fat were each associated with CVD risk
markers. After adjustment for BMI, the associations for intra-hepatic fat with hs-CRP
and insulin persisted (r = 0.21 and 0.19, respectively; P < 0.001), while those between thoracic fat indices and lipids persisted (r for total thoracic fat with HDL, LDL, and triglycerides = −0.16, 0.11, and 0.11, respectively, P < 0.05). Total thoracic fat was associated with CAC after initial multivariable adjustment
(odds ratio [OR] of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th vs. 1st quartile and [95% confidence intervals]:
0.8 [0.4–1.6], 1.5 [0.8–2.9], and 1.8 [1.0–3.4]; p for linear trend = 0.017) and was only slightly attenuated after additional adjustment for BMI. Associations
between total thoracic fat and CVD risk markers and CAC appeared due slightly more
to associations with epicardial than pericardial fat.
Conclusion
While hepatic fat is related to hs-CRP and insulin, cardiac fat is associated with
subclinical atherosclerosis as demonstrated by CAC. Cardiac fat may represent a useful
marker for increased CVD risk beyond the standard adiposity measures of BMI and WC.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 03, 2012
Accepted:
December 3,
2011
Received in revised form:
November 30,
2011
Received:
September 13,
2011
Identification
Copyright
© 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
