title: Thoracic periaortic and visceral adipose tissue and their cross-sectional associations with measures of vascular function.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Perivascular fat may have a local adverse effect on the vasculature. We evaluated whether thoracic periaortic adipose tissue (TAT), a type of perivascular fat, and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) were associated with vascular function.
  
  
  METHODS
  TAT and VAT were quantified in Framingham Heart Study participants using multidetector-computed tomography; vascular function was assessed using brachial artery vasodilator function, peripheral arterial tone, and arterial tonometry (n = 2,735; 48% women; mean age, 50 years; mean body mass index [BMI], 27.7 kg/m(2) ). Using multiple linear regression, the relationships between TAT, VAT, and vascular measures was examined while adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean TAT and VAT volumes were 13.2 and 1763 cm(3) . TAT and VAT were associated with multiple vascular function measures after multivariable adjustment. After BMI adjustment, TAT and VAT remained negatively associated with peripheral arterial tone and inverse carotid femoral pulse wave velocity (P < 0.02); TAT was negatively associated with hyperemic mean flow velocity (P = 0.03). Associations of TAT with vascular function were attenuated after VAT adjustment (all P > 0.06).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thoracic periaortic and visceral fat are associated with microvascular function and large artery stiffness after BMI adjustment. These findings support the growing recognition of associations between ectopic fat and vascular function.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Kathryn A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Britton
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Palmisano
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Corsini
authors.forename: Christopher L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Schlett
authors.forename: Udo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: Martin G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Larson
authors.forename: Ramachandran S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Vasan
authors.forename: Joseph A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Vita
authors.forename: Gary F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Emelia J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Benjamin
authors.forename: Naomi M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Hamburg
authors.forename: Caroline S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Fox
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D000328:Adult; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000378:metabolism; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D059289:Vascular Stiffness / Q000502:physiology