Abdominal Obesity and Association With Atherosclerosis Risk Factors: The Uberlândia Heart Study.

Ectopic visceral fat (VF) and subcutaneous fat (SCF) are associated with cardiovascular risk factors. Gender differences in the correlations of cardiovascular disease risk factors and ectopic fat in the Brazilian population still lacking. Cross-sectional study with 101 volunteers (50.49% men; mean age 56.5 ±â€Š18, range 19-74 years) drawn from the Uberlândia Heart Study underwent ultrasonography assessment of abdominal visceral adipose tissue with convex transducer of 3.5 MHz of frequency. The thickness of VF was ultrasonographically measured by the distance between the inner face of the abdominal muscle and the posterior face of abdominal aorta, 1 cm above the umbilicus. The SCF thickness was measured with a 7.5 MHz linear transducer transversely positioned 1 cm above the umbilical scar. The exams were always performed by the same examiner. Ectopic fat volumes were examined in relation to waist circumference, blood pressure, and metabolic risk factors. The VF was significantly associated with the levels of triglycerides (P < 0.01, r = 0.10), HDL cholesterol (P < 0.005, r = 0.15), total cholesterol (P < 0.01, r = 0.10), waist circumference (P < 0.0001, r = 0.43), systolic blood pressure (P < 0.001, r = 0.41), and diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.001, r = 0.32) in women, and with the levels of triglycerides (P < 0.002, r = 0,14), HDL cholesterol (P < 0.032, r = 0.07), glucose (P < 0.001, r = 0.15), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (P < 0.008, r = 0.12), gamma-GT (P < 0.001, r = 0.30), waist circumference (P < 0.001, r = 0.52), systolic blood pressure (P < 0.001, r = 0.32), and diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.001, r = 0.26) in men. SCF was significantly associated with the levels of triglycerides (P < 0.01, r = 0.34), LDL cholesterol (P < 0.001, r = 0.36), total cholesterol (P < 0.05, r = 0.36), waist circumference (P < 0.0001, r = 0.62), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.05, r = 0.34) in women, and with the waist circumference (P < 0.001, r = 0.065)), and MetS (P < 0.05, r = 0.11) in men. The VF and SCF were correlated with most cardiovascular risk factors in both genders but our findings support the idea that there are gender differences in the correlations between ectopic fat deposition and the cardiovascular risk factors.

Perirenal Fat and Association With Metabolic Risk Factors: The Uberlândia Heart Study.

Perirenal fat (PRF) is associated with cardiovascular risk factors. Gender differences in the correlations of cardiovascular disease risk factors and PRF in the Brazilian population are lacking.Cross-sectional study with 101 (50.49% men; mean age 56.5 ±â€Š18, range 19-74 years) drawn from the Uberlândia Heart Study underwent ultrasonography assessment of abdominal adipose. For the PRF, a 3.5 MHz transducer was measured in the middle third of the right kidney, with the transducer positioned at the axillary midline. The examinations were always performed by the same examiner. The PRF thickness was examined in relation to waist circumference, blood pressure, and metabolic risk factors. The PRF was significantly associated with the levels of gamma-glutamyl transferase (P < 0.05, r = 0.08), fasting plasma glucose (P < 0.05, r = 0.07), waist circumference (P < 0.05, r = 0.10), and metabolic syndrome (P < 0.001, r = 0.38) in men, and with the levels of fasting plasma glucose (P < 0.05) in women.The PRF was correlated with most cardiovascular risk factors in men and only in glucose at the women.