Central and peripheral fat mass have contrasting effect on the progression of aortic calcification in postmenopausal...

To investigate the long-term effects of central fat mass (CFM) and peripheral fat mass (PFM) on atherogenic risk profile and the progression of aortic calcification (AC) in postmenopausal women.

Participants were 316 women aged 50-76 years, who were followed for 7.7 years. CFM and PFM were measured at baseline by DXA and related to follow-up measures of atherogenic metabolites, blood pressure, and the progression of AC assessed on lateral radiographs. CFM and PFM independently of each other exhibited contrasting influence on follow-up measures of atherogenic risk factors and the progression of AC. In a multiple regression model, the negative contribution of PFM (P<0.05), but not the adverse contribution of CFM, was independent of confounders. When comparing different extreme forms of obesity, women with central obesity showed the greatest (2.36+/-0.60, n=11), whereas those with peripheral obesity the smallest changes in AC (0.50+/-0.34, n=10) over the study period. Women with general obesity also tended to show less progression of AC compared with women with central obesity (1.23+/-0.42, n=21).

This study provides direct support for the independent anti-atherogenic influence of PFM and calls on further research to define the adipocyte-derived factors involved in this favourable effect.