Visceral adipose tissue index increased ASCVD risk with HRs 1.26 (MRI) and 1.31 (DXA), especially in normal BMI individuals, independent of waist-to-hip ratio.
Is higher visceral adipose tissue index associated with an increased risk of ASCVD across different BMI categories in individuals without known ASCVD?
Visceral adiposity measured by advanced imaging is associated with an increased risk of ASCVD, particularly in individuals with a normal BMI.
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Abstract Background The relationship between visceral obesity, as assessed by imaging modalities such as visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) has been insufficiently explored in large-scale studies, especially across different BMI categories. Methods Using data from the UK Biobank, we examined the association between body weight-normalized VAT (VAT-index, VATi), assessed via abdominal MRI (VATi-MRI, n=36829) or dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA; VATi-DXA, n=28888), and the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) over a median follow-up period of 4.7 years. Results VATi was associated with increased risk of ASCVD (VATi-MRI: HR 1.26 (95% CI 1.20 – 1.33, p0.001); VATi-DXA: 1.31 (95% CI 1.23 – 1.39), p0.001), adjusted for age, sex, socioeconomic status, lifestyle factors, and cardiometabolic comorbidities (Figure 1). Across BMI categories, these associations were more pronounced in non-obese individuals. In a multivariable-adjusted model, the association between VATi and increased ASCVD risk was particularly pronounced in individuals with a normal BMI. Within this group, VATi remained significantly associated with elevated ASCVD risk, even after additional adjustment for the clinical marker of central obesity, the waist-to-hip ratio (HR for VATi-MRI 1.22 (95 % CI 1.06 – 1.42, p0.01; VATi-DXA 1.35 (95% CI 1.11 – 1.65, p0.01)). Conclusion Visceral obesity, measured by advanced imaging modalities, is linked to greater elevated risk of ASCVD, independent of BMI, in individuals without known ASCVD. These associations were observed mostly in non-obese subjects, with the strongest associations found in the normal BMI group.
Makhmudova et al. (Sat,) reported a other. Visceral adipose tissue index increased ASCVD risk with HRs 1.26 (MRI) and 1.31 (DXA), especially in normal BMI individuals, independent of waist-to-hip ratio.