Association between coronary atherosclerosis and visceral adiposity index

Abstract

Background and aims: Visceral obesity is a marker of dysfunctional adipose tissue and ectopic fat infiltration. Many studies have shown that visceral fat dysfunction has a close relationship with cardiovascular disease. For a better identification of visceral adiposity dysfunction, the visceral adiposity index (VAI) is used. Coronary artery calcium score (CACS) is known to have a strong correlation with the total plaque burden therefore provides information about the severity of the coronary atherosclerosis. CACS is a strong predictor of cardiac events and it refines cardiovascular risk assessment beyond conventional risk factors. Our aim was to evaluate the association between VAI and CACS in an asymptomatic Caucasian population. Methods and results: Computed tomography scans of 460 participants were analyzed in a crosssectional, voluntary screening program. A health questionnaire, physical examination and laboratory tests were also performed. Participants with a history of cardiovascular disease were excluded from the analysis. Mean VAI was 1.41 AE 0.07 in men and 2.00 AE 0.15 in women. VAI showed a positive correlation with total coronary calcium score (r Z 0.242) in males but not in females. VAI was stratified into tertiles by gender. In males, third VAI tertile was independently associated with CACS>100 (OR: 3.21, p Z 0.02) but not with CACS>0 after the effects of conventional risk factors were eliminated. Conclusion: VAI tertiles were associated with calcium scores and the highest VAI tertile was an independent predictor for the presence of CACS>100 in males but not in females.

Association of the new visceral adiposity index with coronary artery calcification and arterial stiffness in Korean population

“…Moderate to high CACS, defined as >100 in the present study, is associated with moderate atherosclerotic plaque burden [18,24,25]. In a recent study from Hungary, VAI was associated with a CACS >100, but this association was only detected in men [13]. Here, we found a significant association between NVAI and CACS >100 in both men and women.…”

“…Although several studies have demonstrated a link between visceral adipose tissue (measured by abdominal CT) and coronary atherosclerosis or arterial stiffness, most of these studies were limited by their small sample size [13,14]. To date, only one study has reported a significant association between VAI and CACS, which was observed only in men [13]. Furthermore, the association of NVAI with coronary atherosclerosis and arterial stiffness are not fully understood.…”

Visceral adiposity index is associated with lung function impairment: a population-based study

“…Subsequent studies confirmed correlations of the VAI with visceral fat distribution and insulin resistance, even in patients with a normal WC. The VAI has been applied in different patient populations, including patients with metabolic syndrome [11,12], diabetes [13], nonalcoholic fatty liver disease [14] and cardiovascular disease [15,16], all of which are often associated with lung function impairment [17][18][19]. There is a lack of data on the association between VAI and lung function impairment.…”

Comparison of 7-site skinfold measurement and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry for estimating body fat percentage and regional adiposity in Taiwanese diabetic patients

“…Hence, the gluteofemoral fat was considered as a protective metabolic sink, which stably stores triglycerides to alleviate the ectopic fat deposition and lower the cardiometabolic risks [17]. In contrast, increase of android fat and visceral fat (central adiposity) is independently correlated with higher risk for cardiovascular disease [5,6,15,18]. However, the gold standard method: DXA for quantifying BF% and regional fat mass is not generally accessible in the outpatient clinic since the machine is expensive, space occupied, experienced operator required and radiation exposure involved.…”