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Updated: May 7, 2026
04:44
Imaging Features of Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease
Published on: June 16, 2020
Relationship between body composition and both cardiovascular risk factors and lung function in systemic sclerosis
Paola Caramaschi1, Domenico Biasi, Cristian Caimmi
1Rheumatology Unit, University of Verona, Verona, Italy, Paola.Caramaschi@ospedaleuniverona.it.
Clinical Rheumatology
|September 21, 2013
Summary
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients show higher visceral abdominal fat linked to cardiovascular risks and reduced lung function. Further research is needed to see if reducing this fat improves lung capacity in SSc.
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology and Immunology
- Cardiovascular Health
- Pulmonary Medicine
Background:
- Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a complex autoimmune disease with significant impact on multiple organ systems.
- Body composition alterations and their association with cardiovascular risk factors and lung function in SSc are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate body composition in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).
- To assess the association between body composition, traditional atherosclerosis risk factors, and lung function parameters in SSc patients.
Main Methods:
- Eighty-six SSc patients underwent dual-energy X-ray (DXA) densitometry for body composition analysis.
- Clinical data, cardiovascular risk factors, and pulmonary function parameters (including forced vital capacity - FVC) were recorded.
- Statistical analyses were performed to determine correlations between body composition, risk factors, and lung function.
Main Results:
- Android fat mass was significantly higher in SSc patients with hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and overweight/obesity.
- Android fat and the android/gynoid fat ratio were inversely correlated with forced vital capacity (FVC).
- Adjusted analyses confirmed significant correlations between visceral abdominal fat, cardiovascular risk factors, and reduced lung volumes in SSc.
Conclusions:
- Visceral abdominal fat, quantified by DXA, is associated with key cardiovascular risk factors in SSc patients.
- Increased android fat and android/gynoid fat ratio correlate with diminished lung function (FVC) in SSc.
- Longitudinal studies are recommended to investigate whether a reduction in abdominal fat can lead to improvements in pulmonary function in SSc.
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