The association of pericardial fat with calcified coronary plaque.
BACKGROUND
Pericardial fat has a higher secretion of inflammatory cytokines than subcutaneous fat. Cytokines released from pericardial fat around coronary arteries may act locally on the adjacent cells.


OBJECTIVE
We examined the relationship between pericardial fat and calcified coronary plaque.


METHODS
Participants in the community-based Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) underwent a computed tomography (CT) scan for the assessment of calcified coronary plaque in 2000/2002. We measured the volume of pericardial fat using these scans in 159 whites and blacks without symptomatic coronary heart disease from Forsyth County, NC, aged 55-74 years.


RESULTS
Calcified coronary plaque was observed in 91 participants (57%). After adjusting for height, a 1 s.d. increment in pericardial fat was associated with an increased odds of calcified coronary plaque (odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 1.92 (1.27, 2.90)). With further adjustment of other cardiovascular factors, pericardial fat was still significantly associated with calcified coronary plaque. This relationship did not differ by gender and ethnicity. On the other hand, BMI and height-adjusted waist circumference were not associated with calcified coronary plaque.


CONCLUSIONS
Pericardial fat is independently associated with calcified coronary plaque.
Sticht Center on Aging, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA. jding@wfubmc.edu
Jingzhong
J
Ding
Stephen B
SB
Kritchevsky
Tamara B
TB
Harris
Gregory L
GL
Burke
Robert C
RC
Detrano
Moyses
M
Szklo
J
J
Jeffrey Carr
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D001741:Black or African American / Q000208:ethnology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001213:Asian / Q000208:ethnology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010496:Pericardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio; D044465:White People / Q000208:ethnology