title: Increased intrathoracic and hepatic visceral adipose tissue independently correlates with coronary artery calcification in asymptomatic patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is associated with cardiac events, but it is not clear which, if any of the various measures of VAT independently correlate with coronary artery disease (CAD).
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 400 patients undergoing computed tomography to determine coronary artery calcium (CAC) score. VAT was measured in the form of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume and thickness, intrathoracic adipose tissue volume (ITAV), and hepatic steatosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 400 subjects, the average CAC score was 112.2 ± 389.3. When each measure of VAT (EAT volume and thickness, ITAV, hepatic steatosis) was added to the traditional model (they were independently associated with greater risk of CAC score ≥100 AU as measured by IDI/NRI (P < .05). On univariable logistic regression analysis, each of the 4 measures of VAT showed association with greater risk of a CAC score of ≥100 AU (OR > 1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Each measure of VAT is a strong correlate of CAC score ≥100 AU in asymptomatic subjects-these VAT assessments correlate more significantly than do traditional CAD risk factors. This incremental power in the predictive models is likely the result of measurement of a fundamental expression of the metabolic syndrome and consequent proatherogenic derangements.
authors.affiliation: Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, 4330 Wornall Road Suite 2000, Kansas City, MO, 64111, USA.
authors.forename: Harshal R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Patil
authors.forename: Nirav T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Patil
authors.forename: Samantha I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: Evan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: O'Keefe
authors.forename: Rajiv
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chhabra
authors.forename: Shaya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ansari
authors.forename: Kevin F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: Damini
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dey
authors.forename: James H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: O'Keefe
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Helzberg
authors.forename: Randall C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Thompson
mesh_terms: D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015984:Causality; D015897:Comorbidity; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008923:Missouri / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000706:statistics & numerical data