title: Periaortic fat and cardiovascular risk: a comparison of high-risk older adults and age-matched healthy controls.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fat accumulation around the heart and aorta may impact cardiovascular (CV) health. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic investigation to examine potential associations of these fat depots with risk factors for CV events, which has not been done before.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pericardial fat, periaortic fat around the ascending aorta (AA), descending aorta (DA) and aortic arch, and abdominal subcutaneous and visceral fat were measured by MRI in older adults with (n = 385, 69 ± 8 years, 52% female) and without (n = 50, 69 ± 8 years, 58% female) risk factors for a CV event.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Individuals with CV risk factors exhibited greater fat volumes across all fat depots compared with those without risk factors. In analysis of covariance accounting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, smoking and body mass index (BMI), individuals with risk factors possessed higher epicardial, pericardial, AA, DA and abdominal visceral fat (P < 0.05). When matched one-to-one on age, gender, race/ethnicity and BMI, AA and DA fat were higher in those with versus without CV risk factors (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Older adults with a high risk for CV events have greater periaortic fat than low-risk adults, even after accounting for BMI. More studies are needed to determine whether greater periaortic fat predicts future CV events.
authors: Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
authors: T E
authors: TE
authors: Brinkley
authors: Department of Biostatistical Sciences, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
authors: X
authors: X
authors: Leng
authors: Section on Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
authors: H L
authors: HL
authors: Chughtai
authors: Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
authors: B J
authors: BJ
authors: Nicklas
authors: Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
authors: S B
authors: SB
authors: Kritchevsky
authors: Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Ding
authors: Section on Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
authors: D W
authors: DW
authors: Kitzman
authors: Section on Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
authors: W G
authors: WG
authors: Hundley
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000473:pathology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001011:Aorta; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D010496:Pericardium; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D050151:Subcutaneous Fat / Q000473:pathology*