Relation of Visceral Adipose Tissue to Coronary Artery Calcium in Thai Patients

Objective: To determine the relationship among body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), abdominal fat area of visceral (VFA), and subcutaneous fat (SFA) on coronary artery calcium (CAC) using a multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) in asymptomatic Thai patients, and describe the prevalence of CAC in Thai patients. Materials and Methods: Participants (n=1,900, mean age 61 years, 64% women) who were moderate to high risk for coronary artery disease (CAD) according to the RAMA-EGAT score, underwent a MDCT for CAD screening between January and December 2012. BMI, WC, CAC score, abdominal fat area, and cardiovascular risk factors were determined for all patients. Results: The prevalence of CAC in all patients was 56.7% (67.9% men, 50.3% women). Using multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors and abdominal fat measurement, VFA as visceral to total fat ratio represented an independent risk factor of the presence of CAC (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.12 to 2.00, p=0.001). Similar relationships were observed across gender, age, WC, history hypertension, and serum fasting blood sugar (FBS). Conclusion: The authors found that visceral adiposity measured by MDCT is significantly associated with the presence of CAC as a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis in Thai patients. Keywords: Visceral adipose tissue, Coronary artery calcification, Computed tomography