Association between metabolic visceral fat score and left ventricular hypertrophy in individuals with type 2 diabetes

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), a hallmark of early-stage heart failure (HF), is a common complication in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Metabolic Visceral Fat Score (METS-VF), a novel metric for estimating visceral adiposity, may provide valuable insights into LVH risk. This study explores the association between METS-VF and LVH in T2DM and compare its predictive performance to traditional abdominal obesity indices.

This cross-sectional study included 4,988 adults with T2DM. Participants were stratified into quartiles based on METS-VF. Logistic regression models assessed the association between METS-VF and LVH. Restricted cubic spline analyses evaluated nonlinear relationships, while stratified analyses explored subgroups effects. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves compared the predictive performance of METS-VF with other indices.

LVH prevalence increased across METS-VF quartiles (Quartile 1: 7.9%; Quartile 2: 13.0%; Quartile 3: 20.0%; Quartile 4: 31.0%; P < 0.001). Higher METS-VF was independently associated with LVH (OR: 9.79; 95% CI: 6.16-15.76; P < 0.001). A nonlinear relationship was observed between METS-VF and LVH, with a steeper risk increase above specific thresholds. Stratified analyses showed that the positive association between METS-VF and LVH was consistent. METS-VF outperformed traditional indices in predicting LVH (AUC: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.66-0.70).

METS-VF is strongly associated with LVH in T2DM, demonstrating superior predictive performance compared to traditional indices. METS-VF is a practical, cost-effective tool for early cardiac risk stratification, facilitating timely interventions to mitigate HF risk in T2DM populations.