Association between body fat parameters and arterial stiffness.

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Physiology
• Obesity Research
• Diagnostic Markers

Background:

• Arterial stiffness is a predictor of cardiovascular events.
• The relationship between body fat distribution and arterial stiffness is not fully understood.
• Previous studies have yielded conflicting results regarding body fat parameters and arterial stiffness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the associations between four body fat parameters (BMI, WC, WHR, VFA) and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV).
• To determine if abdominal obesity measures are more strongly associated with arterial stiffness than general obesity measures.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 3758 health check-up participants (mean age 53.4 years, 36.3% female).
• Assessment of anthropometric parameters: body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-hip ratio (WHR).
• Calculation of visceral fat area (VFA) using bioelectrical impedance analysis; measurement of brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV).

Main Results:

• Simple linear correlation showed baPWV associated with WC, WHR, and VFA (P < 0.001), but not BMI (P = 0.175).
• Multivariable analyses revealed no association between BMI or WC and baPWV (P > 0.05).
• Higher WHR (men >0.90, women >0.85) and VFA (≥100 cm²) were significantly associated with higher baPWV, even after controlling for confounders (ORs ranging from 1.23 to 1.77, P < 0.005).

Conclusions:

• Arterial stiffness (baPWV) is significantly correlated with waist-hip ratio (WHR) and visceral fat area (VFA).
• Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) were not associated with baPWV in this cohort.
• Abdominal obesity, specifically indicated by WHR and VFA, appears more strongly linked to arterial stiffness than overall obesity measures.