Association between Abdominal Fat Distribution and Metabolic Syndrome and Abdominal Aortic Calcification

Objectives: The relationship between visceral fat and abdominal aortic calcification among Taiwanese was still unclear. We investigated the association between visceral fat and abdominal aortic calcification in Taiwanese.
Material and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 200 adult participants in a regional hospital during September 2009 to January 2010. Subcutaneous and visceral fat areas were measured on one cross-sectional abdominal CT scan and the calcium score of abdominal aorta were measured within a 4.5cm cylindrical section of abdominal aorta just above aortic bifurcation.
Results: The mean age was 50.8 (standard deviation, 14.4) years and 47% were women; 40% had metabolic syndrome and 42.5% had abdominal aortic calcification. The odds ratios (ORs) of abdominal aortic calcification according to tertiles of visceral fat area were 2.1 and 4.2 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.0-4.5, 2.0-8.7;trend test, p <0.001). After adjusting for age, gender, body mass index (BMI), the OR comparing the participants in the 3rd tertile of visceral fat area with those in the first tertile was 1.5 (95%CI, 0.6-3.6; trend test, p=0.33). We plotted the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve of different fat measurements with association of abdominal aortic calcification. The cut-off point for visceral fat area to diagnose aortic calcification was 81.5cm2(sensitivity 75.3%，specificity 51.3%), and the corresponding waist circumference is 84cm in women and 88cm in men.
Conclusions: The association between visceral fat area and abdominal aortic calcification were found only in univariate analysis, this association attenuated after multivariate adjustment.