Article Impact Level: HIGH Data Quality: STRONG Summary of Communications Medicine https://doi.org/10.1038/s43856-025-01123-y Dr. Russell J. de Souza et al.
Points
- Visceral adipose tissue and hepatic fat contribute to multiple health risks, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
- This study aimed to determine if VAT and hepatic fat are associated with carotid atherosclerosis beyond traditional risk factors.
- In CAHHM, a 1-SD higher VAT volume linked to 6.16 mm³ higher CWV, but no HFF-CWV association was found.
- UK Biobank data showed 1-SD higher VAT was associated with 0.016 mm higher CIMT, and PDFF with 0.012 mm higher CIMT.
- Pooled analysis supports a direct, positive association of VAT and HFF with subclinical atherosclerosis in both sexes.
Summary
his study investigated the associations of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and hepatic fat (HF) with carotid atherosclerosis, aiming to determine if these fat depots are independent determinants beyond traditional cardiovascular risk factors. VAT and HF are recognized contributors to numerous health risks, including diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, and cancer. The research utilized two large cohorts: the Canadian Alliance of Healthy Hearts and Minds (CAHHM) study (n = 6760; average age = 57.1; 54.9% female) and the UK Biobank (UKB; n = 26,547; average age = 54.7; 51.9% female), employing MRI for VAT volume, hepatic fat fraction (HFF), and carotid wall volume (CWV) in CAHHM, and ultrasound-measured carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) for UKB.
In the CAHHM cohort, a 1-SD higher VAT volume was significantly associated with a 6.16 mm³ higher CWV (95% CI: 1.68 to 10.63). However, no significant association was found between HFF and CWV in this cohort. Complementing these findings, the UK Biobank cohort demonstrated that a 1-SD higher VAT volume was associated with a 0.016 ± 0.009 mm higher CIMT, while a 1-SD higher proton-density fat fraction (PDFF) was associated with a 0.012 ± 0.010 mm higher CIMT. It was noted that these associations were attenuated after adjustment for conventional cardiovascular risk factors.
A pooled analysis of both the CAHHM and UK Biobank cohorts ultimately supported a direct, positive association of both VAT and HFF with subclinical atherosclerosis in both sexes. While the association for hepatic fat was observed to be slightly weaker, the overall findings underscore the independent contributions of these fat depots to atherosclerotic burden. This suggests that VAT and HF, particularly VAT, are important determinants of carotid atherosclerosis, warranting consideration beyond traditional risk assessment in clinical practice.
Link to the article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43856-025-01123-y
References
de Souza, R. J., Pigeyre, M. E., Schulze, K. M., Lamri, A., Al-Khazraji, B. K., Awadalla, P., Beyene, J., Desai, D., Despres, J.-P., Dummer, T. J. B., Friedrich, M. G., Hicks, J., Ho, V., LaRose, É., Lear, S. A., Lee, D. S., Leipsic, J. A., Lettre, G., Moody, A. R., … Anand, S. S. (2025). Visceral adipose tissue and hepatic fat as determinants of carotid atherosclerosis. Communications Medicine, 5(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43856-025-01123-y
