title: Increased risk of subclinical atherosclerosis associated with high visceral adiposity index in apparently healthy Korean adults: the Kangbuk Samsung Health Study.
abstract: The visceral adiposity index (VAI) is a mathematical tool that reflects a patient's visceral adiposity and insulin resistance. Recent studies have noted an association between VAI and cardiovascular event. We analyzed the association between VAI and coronary artery calcium score (CACS) in Korean adults.
  
  
  
  For 33,468 participants (mean age 42 yrs) in a health screening program, VAI was calculated using the following formulae: [waist circumference (WC)/{39.68 + (1.88 * body mass index (BMI))}] * (triglyceride/1.03) * {1.31/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)} for men and [WC/{36.58 + (1.89 * BMI)}] * (triglyceride/0.81) * (1.52/HDL-C) for women. Coronary artery calcium scores were measured with multi-detector computed tomography.
  
  
  
  CACS was positively correlated with VAI (r = 0.027, p < 0.001). Subjects with 0 < CACS <100 and CACS ≥ 100 had significantly higher VAI compared to those with CACS = 0 (2.04 ± 1.97, 2.08 ± 1.67 vs. 1.68 ± 1.50, p < 0.001). In logistic regression analyses with CACS >0 as the dependent variable, subjects in the highest tertile of VAI (>1.777) had significantly increased odds ratio for CACS >0 compared to subjects in the lowest tertile (<0.967), even after adjusting for confounding variables, including BMI (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.147-1.381).
  
  
  
  Subjects with high VAI had increased risk for subclinical atherosclerosis, as assessed by CACS. Key messages Recent studies have noted an association between visceral adiposity index (VAI) and cardiovascular event. Subjects with coronary artery calcification (CAC) showed significantly higher VAI compared to those without CAC. The subjects with high VAI showed increased odds ratio for CAC as compared to subjects with low VAI, suggesting high VAI reflects increased risk for subclinical atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism , Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine , Seoul , Korea.
authors.forename: Hye-Jeong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: a Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism , Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine , Seoul , Korea.
authors.forename: Jihyun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: a Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism , Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine , Seoul , Korea.
authors.forename: Se Eun
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: a Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism , Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine , Seoul , Korea.
authors.forename: Cheol-Young
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: a Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism , Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine , Seoul , Korea.
authors.forename: Won-Young
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: a Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism , Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine , Seoul , Korea.
authors.forename: Ki-Won
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: a Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism , Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine , Seoul , Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: a Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism , Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine , Seoul , Korea.
authors.forename: Eun-Jung
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Rhee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D055105:Waist Circumference
keywords: Atherosclerosis; coronary artery calcification; visceral adiposity index