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Cited by 2,882Cardiovascular Disease and AdiposityDiabetes, Cardiovascular Risks, and LipoproteinsAdipokines, Inflammation, and Metabolic Diseases

Abdominal Visceral and Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue Compartments: Association With Metabolic Risk Factors in the Framingham Heart Study

Fox, Caroline S., Massaro, Joseph M., Hoffmann, Udo, Pou, Karla M., Maurovich-Horvat, Pal, Liu, Chun-Yu, Vasan, Ramachandran S., Murabito, Joanne M. +4 more·2007·Circulation
DOI 10.1161/circulationaha.106.675355
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Abstract

Background— Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) compartments may confer increased metabolic risk. The incremental utility of measuring both visceral and subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue (SAT) in association with metabolic risk factors and underlying heritability has not been well described in a population-based setting. Methods and Results— Participants (n=3001) were drawn from the Framingham Heart Study (48% women; mean age, 50 years), were free of clinical cardiovascular disease, and underwent multidetector computed tomography assessment of SAT and VAT volumes between 2002 and 2005. Metabolic risk factors were examined in relation to increments of SAT and VAT after multivariable adjustment. Heritability was calculated using variance-components analysis. Among both women and men, SAT and VAT were significantly associated with blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and with increased odds of hypertension, impaired fasting glucose, diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome ( P range <0.01). In women, relations between VAT and risk factors were consistently stronger than in men. However, VAT was more strongly correlated with most metabolic risk factors than was SAT. For example, among women and men, both SAT and VAT were associated with increased odds of metabolic syndrome. In women, the odds ratio (OR) of metabolic syndrome per 1–standard deviation increase in VAT (OR, 4.7) was stronger than that for SAT (OR, 3.0; P for difference between SAT and VAT <0.0001); similar differences were noted for men (OR for VAT, 4.2; OR for SAT, 2.5). Furthermore, VAT but not SAT contributed significantly to risk factor variation after adjustment for body mass index and waist circumference ( P ≤0.01). Among overweight and obese individuals, the prevalence of hypertension, impaired fasting glucose, and metabolic syndrome increased linearly and significantly across increasing VAT quartiles. Heritability values for SAT and VAT were 57% and 36%, respectively. Conclusions— Although both SAT and VAT are correlated with metabolic risk factors, VAT remains more strongly associated with an adverse metabolic risk profile even after accounting for standard anthropometric indexes. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesized role of visceral fat as a unique, pathogenic fat depot. Measurement of VAT may provide a more complete understanding of metabolic risk associated with variation in fat distribution.

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Crossref · 10.1161/circulationaha.106.675355

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  • Body fat has better predictive validity for the development of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease risk than BMI.

    “Body fat has better predictive validity on the development of the metabolic syndrome192 and cardiovascular disease risk193 than BMI.”

    From Sarcopenic obesity in older adults: aetiology, epidemiology and treatment strategies (2018) · cites this paper as [192]

    The Discussion reports that visceral adipose tissue (VAT), but not subcutaneous adipose tissue, provided information about cardiometabolic risk factors beyond BMI. This supports a narrower comparison than the claim: the study assessed associations cross-sectionally, not whether body fat generally predicts future cardiovascular disease better than BMI. The Conclusions call for prospective studies of MetS and CVD incidence. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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  • Ectopic fat depots, such as epicardial and perivascular fat, might exert local pathogenic effects on heart and blood vessels.

    “Moreover, ectopic fat depots, such as epicardial and perivascular fat, might exert local pathogenic effects on heart and blood vessels.[7][8][9]”

    From Semaglutide and cardiovascular outcomes by baseline and changes in adiposity measurements: a prespecified analysis of the SELECT trial (2025) · cites this paper as [7]

    The Discussion (page not provided) says visceral fat secretes vasoactive substances that may contribute to cardiometabolic risk. It does not address epicardial or perivascular fat, or propose local effects on the heart and blood vessels. (LLM, conf=0.76)

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  • The Framingham Heart Study reported strong associations of triglyceride levels with both subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue and visceral adipose tissue in men and women (mean age 50 years).

    “In addition to the association between triglyceride levels and BMI, the Framingham Heart Study 155 reported strong associations of triglyceride levels with both subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue and visceral adipose tissue in men and women (mean age 50 years).”

    From Triglycerides and Cardiovascular Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association (2011) · cites this paper as [155]

  • Visceral adiposity is a greater contributor to elevated triglyceride levels than subcutaneous adipose tissue.

    “Thus, although it is clear that excess adiposity is associated with elevated triglyceride levels, visceral adiposity is a greater contributor than subcutaneous adipose tissue.155,156”

    From Triglycerides and Cardiovascular Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association (2011) · cites this paper as [155]

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  1. [23]23. Sironi AM, Gastaldelli A, Mari A, Ciociaro D, Positano V, Buzzigoli E, Ghione S, Turchi S, Lombardi M, Ferrannini E. Visceral fat in hyper- tension: influence on insulin resistance and beta-cell function. Hyper- tension. 2004;44:127-133.

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Authors
Fox, C. S., Massaro, J. M., Hoffmann, U., Pou, K. M., Maurovich-Horvat, P., Liu, C.-Y., Vasan, R. S., Murabito, J. M., Meigs, J. B., Cupples, L. A., D’Agostino, R. B., & O’Donnell, C. J.
Affiliations
  • Boston University (US)
  • From the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute’s Framingham Heart Study (C.S.F., C.J.O.), Framingham, Mass; Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes, Department of Medicine (C.S.F., K.M.P.), Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; Boston University, Department of Mathematics (J.M.M.; R.B.D.) and School of Public Health, Division of Biostatistics (C.-Y.L., L.A.C.), Boston, Mass; Radiology Department (U.H.) and Department of Medicine (J.B.M., C.J.O.),...
ORCID
Venue
Circulation
Publisher
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Published
2007-07-03
Volume
116
Issue
1
Pages
39-48
ISSN
  • 0009-7322 (ISSN-L)
  • 1524-4539
DOI
10.1161/circulationaha.106.675355
OpenAlex
W1989400130
Cited by
2,882
References
78
Citations by year
2026: 102 · 2025: 163 · 2024: 172 · 2023: 164 · 2022: 190 · 2021: 196 · 2020: 162 · 2019: 161 · 2018: 161 · 2017: 157 · 2016: 182 · 2015: 182 · 2014: 184 · 2013: 151 · 2012: 124
FWCI
68.66
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Circulation (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (n01hc25195-41-0-1)
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (N01‐HC25195, K24HL004334)
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (T32DK007529)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiovascular Disease and Adiposity
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diabetes, Cardiovascular Risks, and Lipoproteins
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Adipokines, Inflammation, and Metabolic Diseases
Keywords
visceral adipose tissue, subcutaneous adipose tissue, metabolic risk factors, metabolic syndrome, sex differences, hypertension, impaired fasting glucose, diabetes mellitus, body fat distribution, obesity, body mass index, waist circumference
MeSH terms
Adult, Calcium, Cardiovascular Diseases, Coronary Disease, Diabetes Mellitus, Female, Humans, Hypercholesterolemia, Hyperglycemia, Hypertension, Male, Middle Aged, Obesity, Organ Size, Risk, Sex Factors, United States, Hypertriglyceridemia, Cohort Studies, Comorbidity, Body Mass Index, Glucose Intolerance, Metabolic Syndrome, Tomography, Spiral Computed, Intra-Abdominal Fat, Overweight, Subcutaneous Fat, Abdominal

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