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Nishizawa A, Suemoto CK, Farias-Itao DS, Campos FM, Silva KCS, Bittencourt MS, Grinberg LT, Leite REP, Ferretti-Rebustini REL, Farfel JM, Jacob-Filho W, Pasqualucci CA. Morphometric measurements of systemic atherosclerosis and visceral fat: Evidence from an autopsy study. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0186630. [PMID: 29036197 PMCID: PMC5643130 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Morphometric measurements of systemic atherosclerosis and direct quantification of visceral fat are only possible using materials from autopsy studies. However, the few autopsy studies that have investigated the association of visceral fat with atherosclerosis had small sample sizes and focused on coronary arteries of young or middle-aged White subjects. We aimed to investigate the association of pericardial fat (PF) and abdominal visceral fat (AVF) with atherosclerosis in the aorta, coronary, carotid, and cerebral arteries in a large autopsy study. Materials and methods We evaluated deceased subjects aged 30 years or above. We dissected and weighted the PF and the AVF and evaluated the atherosclerotic burden in the aorta, as well as the carotid, coronary, and cerebral arteries using morphometric measurements. We also investigated the interaction of PF and AVF with age regarding the atherosclerotic burden. Results The mean age of the 240 included subjects was 64.8±15.3 years, and 63% was male. Greater PF was associated with a higher degree of aortic atherosclerosis after adjusting for confounding variables (coefficient = 4.39, 95% CI = 0.83; 7.94, p = 0.02). Greater AVF was associated with a higher coronary stenosis index (coefficient = 1.49, 95% CI = 0.15; 2.83, p = 0.03) and a greater number of coronary plaques (coefficient = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.24; 1.19, p = 0.003). We did not find an association of PF or AVF with carotid or cerebral atherosclerotic burden. We found a significant interaction of AVF (coefficient = -0.08; 95% CI = -0.14; -0.02, p = 0.009) and PF (coefficient = -0.87, 95% CI = -1.70; -0.04, p = 0.04) with age regarding carotid artery atherosclerotic burden. Conclusions Greater AVF was associated with greater atherosclerotic burden and extent in coronary arteries, while greater PF correlated with a higher degree of atherosclerosis in the aorta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Nishizawa
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Pathology (LIM-22), Department of Pathology, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Pathophysiology in Aging Lab/Brazilian Aging Brain Study Group (LIM-22), University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- * E-mail:
| | - Claudia K. Suemoto
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Pathology (LIM-22), Department of Pathology, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Pathophysiology in Aging Lab/Brazilian Aging Brain Study Group (LIM-22), University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Discipline of Geriatrics, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniela S. Farias-Itao
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Pathology (LIM-22), Department of Pathology, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Pathophysiology in Aging Lab/Brazilian Aging Brain Study Group (LIM-22), University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernanda M. Campos
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Pathology (LIM-22), Department of Pathology, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Karen C. S. Silva
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Pathology (LIM-22), Department of Pathology, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Pathophysiology in Aging Lab/Brazilian Aging Brain Study Group (LIM-22), University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcio S. Bittencourt
- Division of Internal Medicine, University Hospital and State of São Paulo Cancer Institute (ICESP), University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Preventive Medicine Center, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein and School of Medicine, Faculdade Israelita de Ciência da Saúde Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lea T. Grinberg
- Pathophysiology in Aging Lab/Brazilian Aging Brain Study Group (LIM-22), University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Renata E. P. Leite
- Pathophysiology in Aging Lab/Brazilian Aging Brain Study Group (LIM-22), University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Discipline of Geriatrics, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Renata E. L. Ferretti-Rebustini
- Pathophysiology in Aging Lab/Brazilian Aging Brain Study Group (LIM-22), University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, University of São Paulo Nursing School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jose M. Farfel
- Pathophysiology in Aging Lab/Brazilian Aging Brain Study Group (LIM-22), University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Discipline of Geriatrics, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Wilson Jacob-Filho
- Pathophysiology in Aging Lab/Brazilian Aging Brain Study Group (LIM-22), University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Discipline of Geriatrics, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carlos A. Pasqualucci
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Pathology (LIM-22), Department of Pathology, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Pathophysiology in Aging Lab/Brazilian Aging Brain Study Group (LIM-22), University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Pathology, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
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