Cardiovascular Diseases and Adipose Tissue Depots in Different Anatomic Locations

Full text: Introduction. Cardiovascular diseases are often associated with large amount of adipose tissue determined by inadequate nutrition and other unhealthy lifestyle factors. Studies show that not only the amount of adipose tissue but also its distribution is important for the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is associated with higher risk than subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT). Furthermore, VAT depots on the heart known as epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) have predominant local effects and seem to play a key role in the development of coronary artery and other cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, measurement of VAT depots has been found to provide information above and beyond easily obtainable clinical anthropometric measurements such as body mass index (BMI). The aim of this study: to assess abdominal and cardiac adipose tissue depots among adults with various cardiovascular diseases. Methods. The total number of 313 adults aged 30 to 65 years with various cardiovascular diseases was involved. Medical records were used to define disease profiles and form groups of individuals with diagnosed myocardial infarction (MI), coronary artery disease (CAD) without MI, and hypertension (HT) without CAD or MI (respectively, 65, 53 and 141 adults). Control group consisted of 54 individuals with none of these diseases. MI, CAD, HT and control groups were matched for gender, physical activity and consumption of vegetables, fruits, grain products, eggs, fish, meat, milk (and their products). Volumes of EAT and abdominal VAT and SAT were measured on magnetic resonance tomography images. Short-axis end-diastolic cardiac images from the basal plane to cardiac apex were used for measurement of EAT volume. Five transverse abdominal images centered at gender-specific lumbar intervertebral levels (females, L3–L4; males, L2–L3) were used for VAT and SAT volume calculation. Results. Median age of the individuals with diagnosed MI, CAD or HT was 54(48-58) years, BMI - 28.4(24.8-31.5) kg/m2. Median SAT, VAT and EAT volumes were 5446.2(3988.8-7747.3) cm3, 5642.9(3881.0-8704.7) cm3 and 144.0(117.1-169.0) cm3, respectively. All these variables were lower among controls (p<0.05). Respectively, their medians in the control group were: 46(43-53) years, 24.8(22.3-27.6) kg/m2, 4340.1(2863.1-5927.0) cm3, 3620.6(2657.3-5572.8) cm3 and 107.7(89.4-135.3) cm3. BMI, also SAT and VAT volumes were similar in MI, CAD and HT groups (p>0.05). Age and EAT volume were similar in MI and CAD groups (respectively, 56(50-59) years, 154.1(134.3-178.7) cm3, p>0.05) but were lower in HT group (respectively, 53(45.5-57) years, 129.0(109.1-157.0) cm3, p<0.05). Respectively, their medians in the control group were: 46(43-53) years, 24.8(22.3-27.6) kg/m2, 4340.1(2863.1-5927.0) cm3, 3620.6(2657.3-5572.8) cm3 and 107.7(89.4-135.3) cm3 (Table 1). Conclusions. Larger depots of EAT, also abdominal SAT and VAT are associated with HT, CAD and MI. Measurement of EAT volume may be the most beneficial in stratification of adults by the risk of cardiovascular diseases. (author)