Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Oct;17(10):e12926.
doi: 10.1111/ijpo.12926. Epub 2022 May 4.

Body fat, pericardial fat, liver fat and arterial health at age 10 years

Giulietta S Monasso  1   2 , Susana Santos  1   2 , Carolina C V Silva  1   2 , Madelon L Geurtsen  1   2 , Edwin Oei  3 , Romy Gaillard  1   2 , Janine F Felix  1   2 , Vincent W V Jaddoe  1   2
Affiliations

Body fat, pericardial fat, liver fat and arterial health at age 10 years

Giulietta S Monasso et al. Pediatr Obes. 2022 Oct.

Abstract

Background: Body mass index is associated with carotid intima-media thickness and distensibility in adults and children.

Objective: To examine whether general and specific fat depots are associated with these markers of arterial health at school age.

Methods: This cross-sectional analysis was embedded in a population-based prospective cohort study among 4708 children aged 10 years. Body, lean and fat mass index were estimated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Pericardial, visceral and liver fat were estimated by magnetic resonance imaging. Carotid intima-media thickness and distensibility were measured by ultrasound.

Results: A 1-standard-deviation-score (SDS) higher body mass index was associated with higher carotid intima-media thickness (0.06 SDS, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.03-0.08) and lower distensibility (-0.17 SDS, 95% CI: -0.20 to -0.14). These associations tended to be similar for lean mass index. A 1-SDS higher fat mass index was associated with lower carotid intima-media thickness (-0.08 SDS, 95% CI: -0.11 to -0.05) and lower distensibility (-0.10 SDS, 95% CI: -0.14 to -0.07). A 1-SDS higher liver fat fraction was associated with lower carotid intima-media thickness (-0.04 SDS, 95% CI: -0.08 to -0.00) and lower distensibility (-0.06 SDS, 95% CI: -0.10 to -0.03). We observed similar associations for visceral fat.

Conclusions: At school age, lean and fat mass seem to be differentially related to carotid intima-media thickness but not distensibility. Arterial development might be affected by lean mass, general and specific fat mass.

Keywords: cardiovascular disease; child; distensibility; epidemiology; intima-media thickness; obesity.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

No conflict of interest was declared.

References

    1. Li S, Chen W, Srinivasan SR, et al. Childhood cardiovascular risk factors and carotid vascular changes in adulthood: the Bogalusa heart study. JAMA. 2003;290(17):2271‐2276. - PubMed
    1. Raitakari OT, Juonala M, Kähönen M, et al. Cardiovascular risk factors in childhood and carotid artery intima‐media thickness in adulthood: the cardiovascular risk in young Finns study. JAMA. 2003;290(17):2277‐2283. - PubMed
    1. Juonala M, Magnussen CG, Berenson GS, et al. Childhood adiposity, adult adiposity, and cardiovascular risk factors. NEJM. 2011;365(20):1876‐1885. - PubMed
    1. Urbina EM, Kimball TR, McCoy CE, Khoury PR, Daniels SR, Dolan LM. Youth with obesity and obesity‐related type 2 diabetes mellitus demonstrate abnormalities in carotid structure and function. Circulation. 2009;119(22):2913‐2919. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Zhao MM, López‐Bermejo A, Caserta CA, et al. Metabolically healthy obesity and high carotid intima‐media thickness in children and adolescents: international childhood vascular structure evaluation consortium. Diabetes Care. 2019;42(1):119‐125. - PubMed

Publication types