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Pericardial fat, intrathoracic fat, and measures of left ventricular structure and function: the Framingham Heart

Caroline S Fox1, Philimon Gona, Udo Hoffmann

  • 1National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, MA 01702, USA. foxca@nhlbi.nih.gov

Circulation
|March 18, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Pericardial fat correlates with cardiac structure, but its effects are not independent of overall obesity or visceral fat. The systemic impact of obesity on the heart appears more significant than localized pericardial fat.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Obesity Research
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Pericardial fat is linked to obesity-related cardiovascular disease.
  • The independence of pericardial fat's cardiac associations from systemic obesity effects requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the association between pericardial fat and cardiac structure/function.
  • To determine if these associations are independent of visceral adiposity and overall obesity.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from 997 Framingham Heart Study participants (2002-2005).
  • Employed computed tomography (CT) for quantifying pericardial fat, intrathoracic fat, and visceral adipose tissue (VAT).
  • Used cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) to assess left ventricular (LV) mass, LV end-diastolic volume, and left atrial dimension.

Main Results:

  • Pericardial fat, intrathoracic fat, VAT, BMI, and waist circumference were correlated with LV mass and left atrial dimension in women.
  • In men, similar correlations were observed for LV mass and left atrial dimension, but not consistently for LV end-diastolic volume.
  • Associations generally persisted after multivariable adjustment but not after adjustment for body weight and VAT, except for pericardial fat and left atrial dimension in men.

Conclusions:

  • Pericardial fat is associated with cardiac measures, but not independently of other fat stores or obesity proxies.
  • Systemic obesity effects on cardiac structure and function may be more influential than local pericardial fat.
  • Left atrial dimension in men represents a notable exception where pericardial fat association may be more distinct.
Abstract

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