Increased Diet Quality is Associated with Long‐Term Reduction of Abdominal and Pericardial Fat

Abstract

Objective This study examined the longitudinal associations between genetic risk, change in diet quality, and change in visceral adipose tissue (ΔVAT), abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (ΔSAT), and pericardial adipose tissue (ΔPAT). Methods A total of 1,677 Framingham Heart Study participants who had ectopic fat depots measured using computed tomography were analyzed. Diet quality was quantified using a Mediterranean‐style diet score (MDS) and genetic risk by depot‐specific genetic risk scores (GRSs). Results Per SD improvement in MDS, there was 50 cm3 (95% CI: 14‐86; P = 0.007) less fat accumulation in VAT, 52 cm3 (95% CI: 12‐92; P = 0.01) less fat accumulation in SAT, and 1.3 cm3 (95% CI: 0.1‐2.4; P = 0.04) less fat accumulation in PAT. No association was observed between GRSs and ΔVAT or ΔSAT. Each 1‐SD increase in the PAT GRS was associated with a 1.2‐cm3 (95% CI: 0.1‐2.3; P = 0.03) increase in ΔPAT. In participants with higher PAT GRS, those with ΔMDS ≥ 0 had a favorable change in PAT compared with the counterparts with ΔMDS < 0 (P = 0.008). Conclusions Longitudinal improvements in diet quality are associated with less ectopic fat accumulation. This study suggests that diet quality may play a critical role in improving ectopic adiposity profiles.

Adiposity in schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…Abnormalities in glucose regulation, lipid metabolism, feeding and energy sensing, have been reported from the earliest stages of illness, including the prodrome, and in unaffected siblings 4,43 . Furthermore, behavioral factors such as smoking, poor dietary habits, and low‐physical activity 59–65 ; biological factors such as increased inflammation, disruptions in the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis, aberrant adipose tissue homeostasis, and brain insulin resistance 66–70 ; and systemic factors such as low socioeconomic status and barriers to care 71–73 interact and overlap to drive metabolic dysfunction, including the adiposity changes reported in the present study 8 …”

Dietetic Management of Lipid Profile in an Adult Population from the Italian Region of Abruzzo: Role of Mediterranean Diet

“…La dislipidemia che si associa all'obesità viscerale è caratterizzata da: aumento della concentrazione plasmatica di trigliceridi, presenza di lipoproteine a bassa densità in prevalenza più piccole e dense del normale, marcatamente aterogene, bassi livelli di colesterolo nelle lipoproteine ad elevata densità. Tale fenotipo lipidico è sovente associato a placche ateromasiche instabili e ad un marcato aumento dei markers di infiammazione [42], da cui la necessità di instaurare terapie farmacologiche e parafarmacologiche [43] volte alla correzione degli alterati assetti lipidici.…”

Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and Risk of Metabolically Unhealthy Obesity in Women: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Adherence to high-quality dietary patterns is known to be crucial in reducing the risk of obesity-related comorbidities ( 18 ). Among high-quality dietary patterns, the Mediterranean diet has been associated with lower weight gain ( 19 – 22 ), obesity prevention ( 23 ), reduced cardiovascular risk also in obesity ( 24 ), reversion and lower risk of metabolic syndrome ( 25 ), more favorable inflammatory status ( 26 ), and better distribution of abdominal adipose tissue ( 27 , 28 ). On the basis of these findings, we hypothesized that adherence to the Mediterranean diet in obesity could be associated with metabolic health.…”