title: Relationship of pericardial fat with lipoprotein distribution: The Multi-Ethnic study of atherosclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pericardial fat and lipoprotein abnormalities contribute to increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We investigated the relationship between pericardial fat volume and lipoprotein distribution, and whether the association of pericardial fat volume with subclinical atherosclerosis and incident CVD events differs according to lipoprotein distribution.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed data from 5407 participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis who had measurements of pericardial fat volume, lipoprotein distribution, carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), and coronary artery calcium (CAC). All participants were free of clinically apparent CVD at baseline. Incident CVD was defined as any adjudicated CVD event.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjusting for demographic factors, traditional risk factors, and biomarkers of inflammation and hemostasis, a larger pericardial fat volume was associated with higher large VLDL particle (VLDL-P) concentration and small HDL particle (HDL-P) concentration, and smaller HDL-P size (regression coefficients = 0.585 nmol/L, 0.366 μmol/L, and -0.025 nm per SD increase in pericardial fat volume respectively, all P < 0.05). The association of pericardial fat volume with large VLDL-P concentration and HDL-P size, but not small HDL-P concentration, remained significant after further adjusting for each other as well as LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. The relationship of pericardial fat volume with incident CVD events, carotid IMT, and prevalence and severity of CAC did not differ by quartiles of large VLDL-P concentration, small HDL-P concentration, or HDL-P size (P for interaction>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pericardial fat is associated with atherogenic lipoprotein abnormalities. However, its relationship with subclinical atherosclerosis and incident CVD events does not differ according to lipoprotein distribution.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Vascular Research, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2025, Australia. Electronic address: oklws@yahoo.com.hk.
authors.forename: Kwok-Leung
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.affiliation: Sticht Center on Aging, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States.
authors.forename: Jingzhong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.
authors.forename: Robyn L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: McClelland
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Bernard M Y
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Criqui
authors.affiliation: Centre for Vascular Research, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2025, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Philip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Barter
authors.affiliation: Centre for Vascular Research, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2025, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Kerry-Anne
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Rye
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.
authors.forename: Matthew A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Allison
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000473:pathology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000208:ethnology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006487:Hemostasis; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL / Q000097:blood*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010496:Pericardium / Q000473:pathology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D008055:Lipids; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL; D014280:Triglycerides
keywords: Cardiovascular disease; Lipids; Lipoproteins; Pericardial fat; Subclinical atherosclerosis