Increased Pericardial Adipose Tissue in Smokers
Gregor S Zimmermann1, Tobias Ruether2, Franz von Ziegler3
1Department of Internal Medicine I, School of Medicine & Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany.
Insights
Smoking significantly increases pericardial adipose tissue (PAT) volume, a marker of heart inflammation and atherosclerosis. This finding was independent of other cardiovascular risk factors, highlighting smoking
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Disease Research
- Medical Imaging and Diagnostics
- Atherosclerosis and Inflammation Studies
Background:
- Pericardial adipose tissue (PAT), visceral fat surrounding the heart, is linked to atherosclerosis and inflammation.
- PAT volume correlates with coronary heart disease prevalence and may aid cardiovascular risk prediction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of smoking on the volume of pericardial adipose tissue (PAT).
- To determine if smoking influences PAT independently of other cardiovascular risk factors.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 1217 asymptomatic patients (573 smokers, 644 non-smokers) using multislice CT scans.
- Quantification of pericardial adipose tissue (PAT) volume.
- Multivariate analysis to assess smoking's effect on PAT, adjusted for coronary risk factors.
Main Results:
- Mean PAT volume was 215 ± 107 mL; smokers exhibited significantly higher PAT volumes (231 ± 104 mL) than non-smokers (201 ± 99 mL, p=0.03).
- Patients with elevated PAT showed a 2.92-fold increased odds of being smokers (p < 0.001).
- Lower PAT volumes were observed in patients without cardiovascular risk factors compared to those with multiple risk factors.
Conclusions:
- Pericardial adipose tissue (PAT) is elevated in smokers, indicating increased atherosclerotic activity and inflammatory burden.
- This association between smoking and increased PAT is independent of metabolic risk factors.
- Elevated PAT in smokers may reflect heightened inflammatory activity compared to non-smokers.
Background:
Pericardial adipose tissue (PAT), a visceral fat depot directly located to the heart, is associated with atherosclerotic and inflammatory processes. The extent of PAT is related to the prevalence of coronary heart disease and might be used for cardiovascular risk prediction. This study aimed to determine the effect of smoking on the extent of PAT.
Methods:
We retrospectively examined 1217 asymptomatic patients (490 females, age 58.3 ± 8.3 years, smoker n = 573, non-smoker n = 644) with a multislice CT scanner and determined the PAT volume. Coronary risk factors were determined at inclusion, and a multivariate analysis was performed to evaluate the influence of smoking on PAT independent from accompanying risk factors.
Results:
The mean PAT volume was 215 ± 107 mL in all patients. The PAT volume in smokers was significantly higher compared to PAT volume in non-smokers (231 ± 104 mL vs. 201 ± 99 mL, p = 0.03). Patients without cardiovascular risk factors showed a significantly lower PAT volume (153 ± 155 mL, p < 0.05) compared to patients with more than 1 risk factor. Odds ratio was 2.92 [2.31, 3.61; p < 0.001] for elevated PAT in smokers.
Conclusion:
PAT as an individual marker of atherosclerotic activity and inflammatory burden was elevated in smokers. The finding was independent from metabolic risk factors and might therefore illustrate the increased inflammatory activity in smokers in comparison to non-smokers.
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