title: Association between abdominal fat distribution and atherosclerotic changes in the carotid artery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to evaluate the association between abdominal fat distribution (e.g., abdominal visceral fat area [VFA], subcutaneous fat area [SFA], and total fat area [TFA]), waist circumference (WC), or body mass index (BMI) and atherosclerotic changes in the carotid artery after adjusting for common risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study is a hospital-based, cross-sectional study. Study participants included 223 Japanese individuals who underwent a medical health checkup at Juntendo University Hospital, Tokyo, between December 2005 and August 2011. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between abdominal VFA, SFA, TFA, the VFA/SFA ratio, WC, or BMI and intima-media thickness [IMT] (mean IMT≥1.1mm or maximum IMT≥1.2mm) as atherosclerotic changes in the carotid artery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that VFA (OR for ≥150cm(2) versus <100cm(2), 3.88; 95% CI, 1.39-10.85), BMI (OR for ≥27.6kg/m(2) versus <25kg/m(2), 5.22; 95% CI, 1.69-16.16), and TFA (OR for 200-285cm(2) versus <200cm(2), 4.15; 95% CI, 1.34-12.86: OR for ≥285cm(2) versus <200cm(2), 5.53; 95% CI, 1.76-17.35) were significantly associated with atherosclerotic changes in men. After adjustment for BMI, only TFA (OR for ≥285cm(2) versus <200cm(2), 3.76; 95%CI, 1.03-13.79) in men was significantly associated with atherosclerotic changes in the carotid artery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that VFA, TFA, and BMI are independently associated with atherosclerotic changes in Japanese men. TFA may be considered as a valuable measure of atherosclerotic changes.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine, Juntendo University, Hongo 2-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan.
authors.forename: Miki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oike
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine, Juntendo University, Hongo 2-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan. Electronic address: yokokawa@pa3.so-net.ne.jp.
authors.forename: Hirohide
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yokokawa
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine, Juntendo University, Hongo 2-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine, Juntendo University, Hongo 2-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Haniu
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine, Juntendo University, Hongo 2-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan.
authors.forename: Fukuko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oka
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine, Juntendo University, Hongo 2-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan.
authors.forename: Teruhiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hisaoka
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine, Juntendo University, Hongo 2-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Isonuma
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D050218:Body Fat Distribution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000378:metabolism*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism; D012737:Sex Factors; D050507:Subcutaneous Fat, Abdominal / Q000378:metabolism; D014041:Tokyo
keywords: Abdominal subcutaneous fat; Abdominal visceral fat; Body fat distribution; Carotid intima-media thickness; Intra-abdominal adipose tissue