Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 17, 2026
Assessment of Human Adipose Tissue Microvascular Function Using Videomicroscopy
Published on: September 29, 2017
Comparative Predictive Value of Three Visceral Adiposity Indices for Cardiovascular Disease: A 17.5-Year Korean
A-Ra Cho1,2, Seok-Jae Heo3, Taehwa Han4
1Department of Family Medicine, Yongin Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.
Insights
Excess visceral adipose tissue (VAT) increases cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. The metabolic score for visceral fat (METS-VF) showed better prediction of CVD events than visceral adiposity index (VAI) and lipid accumulation product (LAP) in Korean adults.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Metabolic Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a leading global cause of mortality.
- Excess visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is an independent predictor of adverse cardiovascular outcomes.
- Several indices, including METS-VF, VAI, and LAP, quantify VAT and its metabolic impact.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between three VAT indices (METS-VF, VAI, LAP) and incident CVD.
- To compare the predictive performance of these indices in a large cohort of middle-aged Korean adults.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 8192 participants without baseline CVD was analyzed.
- METS-VF, VAI, and LAP were calculated using established anthropometric and metabolic formulas.
- Cox proportional hazard regression and integrated AUC analyses were used to assess CVD risk and index performance.
Main Results:
- All three indices (METS-VF, VAI, LAP) were independently associated with increased CVD risk.
- The highest tertile of METS-VF, VAI, and LAP showed significantly higher hazard ratios for incident CVD.
- METS-VF demonstrated superior discriminatory performance compared to VAI and LAP (p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
- METS-VF, VAI, and LAP are significant independent predictors of cardiovascular events.
- METS-VF exhibits superior predictive ability, suggesting its utility as a complementary tool for cardiovascular risk stratification.
Aims:
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death worldwide, with excess visceral adipose tissue (VAT) being identified as an independent indicator of poor cardiovascular outcomes. We examined the association between three indices of VAT, namely, metabolic score for visceral fat (METS-VF), visceral adiposity index (VAI), and lipid accumulation product (LAP), and the development of CVD in a large cohort of middle-aged Korean adults.
Materials And Methods:
The study recruited 8192 participants without CVD at baseline from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study. METS-VF, VAI, and LAP were calculated using established formulas based on anthropometric and metabolic parameters. Incident CVD was defined based on self-reported physician diagnoses confirmed by trained interviewers. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were performed to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) for incident CVD. Heagerty's integrated areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (iAUC) were used to compare the discriminatory performance of three indices.
Results:
The adjusted HRs (95% CIs) for incident CVD in the highest tertile compared with the lowest tertile were 1.62 (1.29-2.03), 1.38 (1.08-1.77), and 1.66 (1.32-2.09) for METS-VF, VAI, and LAP, respectively. METS-VF showed statistically higher discriminatory performance than VAI and LAP for incident CVD (p < 0.001), although the overall discriminative ability of indices was modest.
Conclusions:
METS-VF, VAI, and LAP were independently associated with an increased risk of CVD events. Among these indices, METS-VF demonstrated relatively better discriminatory performance, suggesting its potential role as a complementary tool for cardiovascular risk stratification.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Cholesterol: Significance and Regulation
Considering cholesterol and...
01:28Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System V: CT
01:21Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System IV: CMRI
01:20Blood Studies for Cardiovascular System I: Cardiac Biomarkers
The essential diagnostic tools for detecting myocardial necrosis and monitoring individuals suspected of having acute coronary syndrome (ACS) include:
Troponins
Troponins, particularly cardiac troponins I and T, are the most precise and sensitive markers of myocardial injury. They are detectable within 4-6 hours of myocardial injury and remain...
01:25Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System VI: Calcium -Scoring CT
01:23Assessment of the Cardiovascular System I: Subjective Data
Initial Enquiry
Ask the patient about their primary concern and thoroughly explore all reported symptoms.
Medical History
Investigate past illnesses affecting the cardiovascular system, such as angina, anemia, rheumatic fever, congenital heart disease, stroke, thrombophlebitis, dysrhythmias, varicosities
Inquire about symptoms...