Impact of Body Mass Index on Vascular Calcification and Pericardial Fat Volume Among Patients with Suspected Coronary Artery Disease.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to assess the effect of body mass index (BMI) on the relationship between pericardial fat volume (PFV), aortic root calcification (ARC) and coronary artery calcification (CAC) among patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD).


METHODS
This cross-sectional study took place between January and December 2014 at the Kufa University Teaching Hospital, Najaf, Iraq. A total of 130 consecutive patients with an intermediate pretest probability of ischaemic heart disease who underwent 64-slice multidetector computed tomography (CT) angiography during the study period were recruited. Of these, 111 were included in the study and divided into groups according to BMI. Imaging markers were measured on CT angiography.


RESULTS
A total of 28 patients were obese, while 42 and 41 were overweight and normal weight, respectively. The median PFV, CAC and ARC was 109 cm(3) (interquartile range [IQR]: 52-176 cm(3)), 0 Agatston score (IQR: 0-52 Agatston score) and 0 Agatston score (IQR: 0-15 Agatston score), respectively, in the normal weight group in comparison to 79 cm(3) (IQR: 43-138 cm(3)), 0 Agatston score (IQR: 0-54 Agatston score) and 0 Agatston score (IQR: 0-0 Agatston score), respectively, in the obese group. Significant correlations were observed between PFV and CAC (r(2) = 0.22; P = 0.002) and ARC and CAC (r(2) = 0.37; P <0.001) in the normal weight group. However, no significant correlations were observed for obese and overweight patients.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings indicate that BMI may not be an accurate tool for measuring adiposity or assessing subclinical coronary atherosclerosis in patients with suspected CAD.
Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kufa, Najaf, Iraq.
Hussein
H
Nafakhi
Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kufa, Najaf, Iraq.
Abdulameer
A
Al-Mosawi
Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kufa, Najaf, Iraq.
Hayder
H
Elwali
Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kufa, Najaf, Iraq.
Hasan
H
Al-Nafakh
Department of Radiology, Almustansyria University, Baghdad, Iraq.
Raad
R
Tawfeq
Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Najaf Health Bureau, Najaf, Iraq.
Ahmed
A
Nafakhi
Atherosclerosis; Body Mass Index; Coronary Angiography; Coronary Vessels; Obesity; Pericardium; Vascular Calcification