Association between duration of overall and abdominal obesity beginning in young adulthood and coronary artery calcification in middle age
View abstract on PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.Longer duration of overall and abdominal obesity increases coronary artery calcification (CAC) risk and progression. Delaying the onset of obesity in young adulthood may reduce atherosclerosis development.
Area Of Science
- Cardiovascular disease epidemiology
- Obesity research
- Preventive cardiology
Background
- Younger populations face increasing lifetime exposure to excess adiposity.
- Long-term consequences of obesity remain understudied.
- Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is a subclinical predictor of coronary heart disease.
Purpose Of The Study
- To investigate the association between the duration of overall and abdominal obesity and the presence and 10-year progression of CAC.
- To assess the impact of obesity duration on subclinical coronary heart disease development.
Main Methods
- Prospective study of 3275 adults (18-30 years) from the CARDIA study.
- Measured overall (BMI ≥30) and abdominal (waist circumference) obesity duration using repeat measurements over 25 years.
- Assessed CAC presence and 10-year progression using computed tomography scans at 15, 20, and 25-year follow-ups.
Main Results
- 40.4% and 41.0% developed overall and abdominal obesity, respectively.
- Higher CAC rates and progression observed with longer durations (>20 years) of both overall and abdominal obesity.
- Each additional year of obesity increased CAC hazard ratios (1.02-1.03) and progression odds ratios (1.04), persisting after adjustments.
Conclusions
- Prolonged overall and abdominal obesity are linked to subclinical coronary heart disease and its progression in midlife.
- These associations are independent of adiposity levels.
- Preventing or delaying obesity onset in young adulthood may mitigate atherosclerosis risk through middle age.