Association of intraabdominal fat and carotid atherosclerosis in non-obese middle-aged men with normal glucose tolerance.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association of visceral fat accumulation and carotid atherosclerosis in non-obese men with normal glucose tolerance.


METHODS
Ninety eight middle-aged men with normal glucose tolerance who had a body mass index (BMI) < 25 kg/m2 (mean age: 52.6 y, mean BMI: 22.5 kg/m2).


METHODS
Using ultrasonography, we simultaneously measured the abdominal fat distribution and intima-media thickness (IMT) of the carotid artery wall.


RESULTS
Pmax, an index of the absolute amount of visceral fat, was found to be significantly correlated with IMT and fasting Insulin concentration (r = 0.37, P < 0.005 and r = 0.54, P < 0.0001). Abdominal wall fat index (AFI), the ratio of maximum thickness of the preperitioneal fat and the minimum thickness of the subcutaneous fat, was not correlated with IMT.


CONCLUSIONS
Visceral fat accumulation may play a role in the progression of atherosclerosis even in non-obese middle-aged men.
Yamamoto
M
M
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Hiroshima University School of Medicine, Japan.
Egusa
G
G
Hara
H
H
Yamakido
M
M
D000005:Abdomen; D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000328:Adult; D001823:Body Composition; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D014463:Ultrasonography
D007328:Insulin