Localization of Fat Depots and Cardiovascular Risk

Overview

Journal Lipids Health Dis

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialties Biochemistry
Endocrinology

Date 2018 Sep 17

PMID 30219068

Citations 71

Authors

Olga Gruzdeva

Daria Borodkina

Evgenya Uchasova

Yulia Dyleva

Olga Barbarash

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Despite the existing preventative and therapeutic measures, cardiovascular diseases remain the main cause of temporary disability, long-term disability, and mortality. Obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and their complications. However, not all fat depots have the same inflammatory, paracrine, and metabolic activities. In addition, recent studies have indicated that the accumulation of visceral fat, rather than subcutaneous fat, is associated with increased cardiometabolic risk. However, there is also evidence that increasing the area of visceral fat can help protect against lipotoxicity. This review aims to discuss the contemporary literature regarding the characteristics of the visceral, epicardial, and perivascular fat depots, as well as their associations with cardiovascular disease.

Citing Articles

Association of body roundness index with chronic diarrhea and constipation, NHANES 2005-2010.

Zhuang Y, Li L, Sun J, Zhang Y, Dai F J Health Popul Nutr. 2025; 44(1):50.

PMID: 40022226 PMC: 11869572. DOI: 10.1186/s41043-025-00793-7.

Effects of Weight Loss on Endothelium and Vascular Homeostasis: Impact on Cardiovascular Risk.

Tiezzi M, Vieceli Dalla Sega F, Gentileschi P, Campanelli M, Benavoli D, Tremoli E Biomedicines. 2025; 13(2).

PMID: 40002792 PMC: 11853214. DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines13020381.

Temporal trends, associated risk factors and longitudinal cardiovascular outcomes of body roundness among middle-aged and older Chinese adults: from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study 2011-2018.

Gan Y, Luo Y, Zhai L, Huo R, Dai X, Liao Q Front Nutr. 2025; 12:1515067.

PMID: 39927280 PMC: 11804525. DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1515067.

Physiology and Pathobiology of Perivascular Adipose Tissue: Inflammation-based Atherogenesis.

Muffova B, Kralova Lesna I, Poledne R Physiol Res. 2025; 73(6):929-941.

PMID: 39903884 PMC: 11835208.

The L-shaped association between body roundness index and all-cause mortality in osteoporotic patients: a cohort study based on NHANES data.

Ding Z, Li W, Qi H, Fang T, Zhu Q, Qu X Front Nutr. 2025; 12:1538766.

PMID: 39902313 PMC: 11788163. DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1538766.

References

Tarui S, Tokunaga K, Fujioka S, Matsuzawa Y . Visceral fat obesity: anthropological and pathophysiological aspects. Int J Obes. 1991; 15 Suppl 2:1-8. View

Lima M, Pareja J, Alegre S, Geloneze S, Kahn S, Astiarraga B . Visceral fat resection in humans: effect on insulin sensitivity, beta-cell function, adipokines, and inflammatory markers. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2013; 21(3):E182-9. DOI: 10.1002/oby.20030. View

Eroglu S, Sade L, Yildirir A, Bal U, Ozbicer S, Ozgul A . Epicardial adipose tissue thickness by echocardiography is a marker for the presence and severity of coronary artery disease. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2008; 19(3):211-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.numecd.2008.05.002. View

Capeau J . Insulin resistance and steatosis in humans. Diabetes Metab. 2009; 34(6 Pt 2):649-57. DOI: 10.1016/S1262-3636(08)74600-7. View

Pereira P, Serrano H, Carvalho G, Lamounier J, Peluzio M, Franceschini S . Body fat location and cardiovascular disease risk factors in overweight female adolescents and eutrophic female adolescents with a high percentage of body fat. Cardiol Young. 2011; 22(2):162-9. DOI: 10.1017/S1047951111001430. View

Fujioka S, Matsuzawa Y, Tokunaga K, Tarui S . Contribution of intra-abdominal fat accumulation to the impairment of glucose and lipid metabolism in human obesity. Metabolism. 1987; 36(1):54-9. DOI: 10.1016/0026-0495(87)90063-1. View

Lavie C, Milani R, Ventura H . Obesity and cardiovascular disease: risk factor, paradox, and impact of weight loss. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2009; 53(21):1925-32. DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2008.12.068. View

Ford E, Ajani U, Croft J, Critchley J, Labarthe D, Kottke T . Explaining the decrease in U.S. deaths from coronary disease, 1980-2000. N Engl J Med. 2007; 356(23):2388-98. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMsa053935. View

Barquera S, Pedroza-Tobias A, Medina C, Hernandez-Barrera L, Bibbins-Domingo K, Lozano R . Global Overview of the Epidemiology of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease. Arch Med Res. 2015; 46(5):328-38. DOI: 10.1016/j.arcmed.2015.06.006. View

10.

Corradi D, Maestri R, Callegari S, Pastori P, Goldoni M, Luong T . The ventricular epicardial fat is related to the myocardial mass in normal, ischemic and hypertrophic hearts. Cardiovasc Pathol. 2004; 13(6):313-6. DOI: 10.1016/j.carpath.2004.08.005. View

11.

Roth G, Forouzanfar M, Moran A, Barber R, Nguyen G, Feigin V . Demographic and epidemiologic drivers of global cardiovascular mortality. N Engl J Med. 2015; 372(14):1333-41. PMC: 4482354. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1406656. View

12.

Ashwell M . Obesity risk: importance of the waist-to-height ratio. Nurs Stand. 2009; 23(41):49-54. DOI: 10.7748/ns2009.06.23.41.49.c7050. View

13.

Bonapace S, Perseghin G, Molon G, Canali G, Bertolini L, Zoppini G . Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2012; 35(2):389-95. PMC: 3263884. DOI: 10.2337/dc11-1820. View

14.

Chatterjee T, Stoll L, Denning G, Harrelson A, Blomkalns A, Idelman G . Proinflammatory phenotype of perivascular adipocytes: influence of high-fat feeding. Circ Res. 2009; 104(4):541-9. PMC: 2742882. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.108.182998. View

15.

Omar A, Chatterjee T, Tang Y, Hui D, Weintraub N . Proinflammatory phenotype of perivascular adipocytes. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2014; 34(8):1631-6. PMC: 4113719. DOI: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.114.303030. View

16.

Targher G, Zoppini G, Day C . Risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with chronic liver disease. Gut. 2010; 60(11):1602-3. DOI: 10.1136/gut.2010.230656. View

17.

Despres J . Body fat distribution and risk of cardiovascular disease: an update. Circulation. 2012; 126(10):1301-13. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.111.067264. View

18.

Kotronen A, Yki-Jarvinen H . Fatty liver: a novel component of the metabolic syndrome. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2007; 28(1):27-38. DOI: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.107.147538. View

19.

Konner A, Bruning J . Selective insulin and leptin resistance in metabolic disorders. Cell Metab. 2012; 16(2):144-52. DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2012.07.004. View

20.

Rittig K, Staib K, Machann J, Bottcher M, Peter A, Schick F . Perivascular fatty tissue at the brachial artery is linked to insulin resistance but not to local endothelial dysfunction. Diabetologia. 2008; 51(11):2093-9. DOI: 10.1007/s00125-008-1128-3. View