Visceral adipose tissue, aortic distensibility and atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk across body mass index categories
Authors' conclusion
Visceral obesity, measured by advanced imaging modalities, is linked to greater aortic stiffness and elevated risk of ASCVD, independent of BMI, in individuals without known ASCVD. Notably, these associations were observed mostly in non-obese subjects, with the strongest associations found in the normal BMI group.
Study context
- Population
- UK Biobank participants without known atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), across body mass index (BMI) categories28,888 also assessed by DXA
- Participants
- 36,829 participants
- Exposure
- Higher vs lower visceral adipose tissue (VAT) index, across BMI categories
- Outcome
- Ascending aortic distensibility and risk of ASCVD
- Follow-up
- Median 4.7 years
Methodological detailsUK Biobank abdominal MRI sub-cohort
- UK Biobank abdominal MRI sub-cohort
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Ascending aortic distensibility and ASCVD risk per VATi
Hazard ratio (95% CI)P value
VATi-MRIASCVD
1.16(1.09–1.23)
P < 0.001VATi-DXAASCVD
1.21(1.13–1.3)
P < 0.001Per VATi, as printed
- VATi-MRI · ascending aortic distensibility
- adjusted β −0.05 (95% CI −0.07 to −0.04); P < 0.001
- VATi-DXA · ascending aortic distensibility
- adjusted b −0.04 (95% CI −0.06 to −0.03); P < 0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
ASCVD incidence, high vs low VATi, by BMI category
Normal BMI
Overweight
Obese
ASCVD risk in normal BMI, adjusted for waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) (subgroup)
| Comparison | HR | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| VATi-MRINormal BMI | 1.22 (95 % CI 1.06–1.42) | P < 0.01 | |
| VATi-DXANormal BMI | 1.35 (95% CI 1.11–1.65) | P < 0.01 | |
| 0.512Hazard ratio (log scale) |
- ASCVD incidence, high vs low VATi, by BMI category: 1,462 ASCVD events in total
- ASCVD incidence, high vs low VATi, by BMI category: p log-rank <0.001
Original publication
Visceral adipose tissue, aortic distensibility and atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk across body mass index categories. Eur J Prev Cardiol. Published 18 July 2025. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it