The correlation of perirenal fat and atherosclerosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

ObjectiveFinding accessible diagnostic tools for the diagnosis of atherosclerosis is necessary due to its rising incidence rate. The correlation of perirenal fat thickness (PRFT) and atherosclerosis has been investigated in previous studies using different imaging modalities including ultrasound and CT-scan, but their results have been equivocal. Therefore, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to determine this potential correlation.MethodsThis study is a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. A comprehensive search was conducted up to 2 July 2024, across articles published in the Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and PubMed databases. The protocol for this research has been registered in the PROSPERO international database under registration number CRD42024532843. Articles that examined the association between perirenal fat and atherosclerosis, and reported correlation coefficients (r), beta coefficients (β), and odds ratios (ORs) in cross-sectional and case-control designs, involving adult or pediatric human populations, were included. The pooled ORs (95% CI), the log OR, and its standard error were calculated.ResultsFollowing the identification of 10 eligible articles, meta-analysis and subgroup analysis were performed for different conditions, including adults, children, gender, atherosclerosis site, and comorbidity. One study reported the association between perirenal fat weight and atherosclerosis, while the remaining articles measured PRFT. The pooled estimated OR among 4767 adults was 1.24 (1.06-1.45) with I² = 83.6%. Among 929 adults, the pooled correlation coefficient (r) was 0.412 (p < 0.0001, I² = 63.3%). Among 1221 children, it was 0.291 (p < 0.0001, I² = 0%).ConclusionPRFT is significantly associated with carotid intima-media thickness, suggesting its potential as a non-invasive biomarker of atherosclerosis. Further large-scale, longitudinal studies are needed to confirm its predictive value.