Key result
High cold-induced BAT activity correlates with lower carotid intima-media thickness and greater elasticity.
Why the study?
Brown adipose tissue (BAT) activity correlates negatively with obesity and insulin resistance and may protect against atherogenesis, prompting investigation into its association with subclinical atherosclerosis and risk factors.
Does high cold-induced brown adipose tissue activity correlate with lower subclinical atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk factors at 5-year follow-up?
Cohort (n=31)
Does high cold-induced brown adipose tissue activity correlate with lower subclinical atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk factors at 5-year follow-up?
p-value: p=≤0.02
Higher cold-induced brown adipose tissue activity is associated with lower levels of cardiovascular risk factors and reduced subclinical atherosclerosis at 5-year follow-up.
Higher baseline BAT activity linked to lower carotid IMT and better distensibility at 5 years; leaves open protective role against atherosclerosis in larger prospective studies.
Objective: Brown adipose tissue (BAT) activity correlates negatively with obesity and insulin resistance, and BAT has been suggested to act as a protective factor against atherogenesis. We aimed to examine subclinical atherosclerosis and risk factor levels in a group of individuals who had 5 years earlier participated in positron-emission tomography studies with measurements of BAT activity. Approach and Results: Study cohort (males/females=5/26, baseline age 41.4±7.9 years; body mass index, 26.8±6.3 kg/m 2 ) underwent positron-emission tomography imaging at baseline with [ 18 F] FDG (glucose uptake) and [ 15 O] H 2 O (perfusion) to measure BAT activity during cold exposure. At 5-year follow-up, ultrasound was performed to measure carotid intima-media thickness, carotid distensibility (a marker of arterial elasticity), and brachial flow-mediated dilation (an estimate of endothelial function). Fasting plasma lipids and hemoglobin A1c were measured from venous samples at baseline and at follow-up. Median values were used as cut points for high cold-induced BAT activity (BAT glucose uptake >2.40 μmoL/100 g per minute and perfusion >8.4 mL/100 g per minute). Baseline cold-induced BAT glucose uptake and perfusion correlated directly with carotid distensibility and inversely with mean bulbus intima-media thickness and maximum intima-media thickness ( P always ≤0.02). Baseline body mass index, plasma triglycerides, and HbA1c correlated negatively with BAT glucose uptake and perfusion in cold ( P always ≤0.048). Correlations between cold-induced BAT activity, cardiovascular risk factors, and atherosclerosis were attenuated with corrections for multiple comparisons. Conclusions: Cold-induced BAT activity at baseline seems to correlate with lower levels of conventional cardiovascular risk factors at baseline and with lower carotid intima-media thickness and higher carotid elasticity at 5-year follow-up.
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Raiko et al. (2020) conducted a cohort in Subclinical atherosclerosis (n=31). High cold-induced brown adipose tissue (BAT) activity vs. Low cold-induced BAT activity was evaluated on Carotid intima-media thickness, carotid distensibility, and brachial flow-mediated dilation (p=≤0.02). High cold-induced brown adipose tissue activity at baseline correlated with lower carotid intima-media thickness and higher carotid elasticity at 5-year follow-up (P≤0.02).
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