Association of Visceral Adipose Tissue and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in US-Born Mexican Americans but not First Generation Immigrants

Authors

Clarence Gill
Miryoung Lee
Kristina P Vatcheva
Nahid Rianon
Beverly Smulevitz
David D McPherson
Joseph B McCormick
Susan P Fisher-Hoch
Susan T Laing

Publication Date

10-20-2020

Journal

Journal of American Heart Association

Abstract

Background Excess visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is a primary driver for the cardiometabolic complications of obesity; VAT-associated cardiovascular disease risk varies by race, but most studies have been done on Non-Hispanics. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical and metabolic correlates of VAT, its association with subclinical atherosclerosis, and the factors affecting this association in Mexican Americans. Methods and Results Participants (n=527) were drawn from the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort (CCHC), on whom a carotid ultrasound to assess carotid intima media thickness and a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan to assess for VAT were obtained. Those in the highest quartiles of VAT were more likely to have hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, low high-density lipoprotein, diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome. Increased carotid intima media thickness was more prevalent in those in the highest quartile for VAT (57.4% versus 15.4% for the lowest quartile;

Keywords

Absorptiometry, Photon, Asymptomatic Diseases, Atherosclerosis, Cardiometabolic Risk Factors, Cardiovascular Diseases, Carotid Intima-Media Thickness, Emigrants and Immigrants, Family Characteristics, Female, Humans, Intra-Abdominal Fat, Male, Mexican Americans, Middle Aged, Organ Size, Risk Factors, Texas