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Pericardial adipose tissue and coronary artery calcification in the Multi-ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

Jill McClain1, Fang Hsu, Elizabeth Brown

  • 1Sticht Center on Aging, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA. jillmccl@wakehealth.edu

Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)
|June 21, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Pericardial adipose tissue (PAT) is linked to coronary artery calcification presence and severity. This association remained significant even after adjusting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors and inflammatory markers.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Radiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Pericardial adipose tissue (PAT) is an active endocrine organ. Its role in cardiovascular disease, particularly coronary artery calcification (CAC), is increasingly recognized.
  • Understanding the relationship between PAT and CAC is crucial for identifying individuals at higher risk of atherosclerosis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between pericardial adipose tissue (PAT) volume and coronary artery calcification (CAC) in a multi-ethnic cohort.
  • To determine if this association varies by race/ethnicity or sex.

Main Methods:

  • The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) cohort included 6,814 adults aged 45-84 without known cardiovascular disease.
  • Cardiac CT was used to quantify PAT volume and CAC (Agatston score).
  • Cross-sectional associations were analyzed using prevalence ratios and linear regression, adjusting for demographics, lifestyle factors, and inflammatory markers.

Main Results:

  • PAT volume was associated with both the presence and severity of CAC.
  • These associations were generally consistent across racial/ethnic groups.
  • After full adjustment, the association with CAC severity remained significant, while the association with CAC presence was attenuated but still significant.
  • Sex-based heterogeneity was observed for the presence of CAC.

Conclusions:

  • Pericardial adipose tissue is significantly associated with coronary artery calcification.
  • The relationship between PAT and CAC is independent of generalized adiposity and traditional cardiovascular risk factors.
  • These findings highlight PAT as a potential imaging biomarker for cardiovascular risk assessment.
Abstract

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