Prevalence of Border-Line Metabolic Syndrome in Patients with Heart Failure

Abstract

Introduction: Excessive adiposity and its distribution (visceral or subcutaneous) have increasing relevance in cardiovascular pathophysiology as CVR factors too. Indexes of total adiposity, such as the body mass index (BMI), and visceral adiposity (waist circumference, WC), correlate with several metabolic and cardiovascular parameters. Especially WC is also a good prognostic index when measured in populations, but might be less reliable in each single patient. Careful evaluation of total and intra-abdominal adiposity is even more important in overweight hypertensive patients for a complete evaluation of CVR. The aim of the study was to evaluate by magnetic resonance (MR) quantity and distribution of abdominal adipose tissue in unselected, consecutive overweight hypertensive patients together with the analysis of clinical parameters. Methods: 47 overweight hypertensive patients (30 males, 17 females) underwent abdominal MR (single-slice at umbilical level) to evaluate distribution of abdominal adipose tissue. In each patient subcutaneous (SAT), visceral (VAT) and total (TAT = SAT+VAT) adipose tissue were calculated. BMI and WC were measured by standard methods. Results: We observed significant linear correlation between TAT and BMI, both in males (r=0.73, p<0,05) with BMI and WC in males (respectively, r=0.48, p=0.008; r=0.59, p=0.001), but not in females (r=0.07; r=0.28). In females, WC and BMI reflected SAT (r=0.76; r=0.71; p<0.0001). Conclusions: Evaluation of abdominal adiposity by single-slice MR consents a careful and fast quantification of both subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue without exposition to x-ray. WC appears reliable in estimation of VAT in male hypertensive patients, but not in females, where these measures express mainly SAT.