Pericardial Fat and the Risk of Heart Failure

BACKGROUND Obesity is a well-established risk factor for heart failure (HF). However, implications of pericardial fat on incident HF is unclear. OBJECTIVES This study sought to examine the association between pericardial fat volume (PFV) and newly diagnosed HF. METHODS This study ascertained PFV using cardiac computed tomography in 6,785 participants (3,584 women and 3,201 men) without pre-existing cardiovascular disease from the MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis). Cox proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate PFV as continuous and dichotomous variable, maximizing the J-statistic: (Sensitivity + Specificity - 1). RESULTS In 90,686 person-years (median: 15.7 years; interquartile range: 11.7 to 16.5 years), 385 participants (5.7%; 164 women and 221 men) developed newly diagnosed HF. PFV was lower in women than in men (69 +/- 33 cm(3) vs. 92 +/- 47 cm(3); p < 0.001). In multivariable analyses, every 1-SD (42 cm(3)) increase in PFV was associated with a higher risk of HF in women (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.44; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.21 to 1.71; p < 0.001) than in men (HR: 1.13; 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.27; p = 0.03) (interaction p = 0.01). High PFV (>= 70 cm(3) in women; >= 120 cm(3) in men) conferred a 2-fold greater risk of HF in women (HR: 2.06; 95% CI: 1.48 to 2.87; p < 0.001) and a 53% higher risk in men (HR: 1.53; 95% CI: 1.13 to 2.07; p = 0.006). In sex-stratified analyses, greater risk of HF remained robust with additional adjustment for anthropometric indicators of obesity (p <= 0.008), abdominal subcutaneous or visceral fat (p <= 0.03) or biomarkers of inflammation and hemodynamic stress (p < 0.001) and was similar among Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, and Chinese (interaction p = 0.24). Elevated PFV predominantly augmented the risk of HF with preserved ejection fraction (p < 0.001) rather than reduced ejection fraction (p = 0.31). CONCLUSIONS In this large, community-based, ethnically diverse, prospective cohort study, pericardial fat was associated with an increased risk of HF, particularly HF with preserved ejection fraction, in women and men. (C) 2021 the American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The study found that pericardial fat volume was associated with incident heart failure (HF), especially in women and men. The risk of HF was higher in women with an increase in PFV compared to men. Elevated PFV was linked to a greater risk of HF with preserved ejection fraction. The study suggests that pericardial fat may play a role in the development of HF in both sexes.