Visceral/epicardial adiposity in nonobese and apparently healthy young adults: Association with the cardiometabolic profile

Objective: We investigate associations of regional adipose tissues with cardiometabolic profile of non-obese and apparently healthy young adults. Methods: Four hundred twenty-five nonobese and apparently healthy individuals were assessed for blood pressure and fasting lipid profile, blood glucose and adiponectin. Subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue (SAT) and ectopic fat depots (visceral abdominal adipose tissue [VAT], epicardial adipose tissue [EAT] and hepatic fat fraction [HFF]) were quantified by magnetic resonance imaging. Results: According to anthropometric measurements, blood pressure and blood markers, the population (18-35 years, 54% women) had a low cardiometabolic risk. Compared to women, men had more VAT, EAT and HFF, but less SAT. Regional adipose tissues were positively correlated with each other. VAT and EAT carried significant correlations with all markers of cardiometabolic risk, while SAT and HFF correlated variably with these markers. While taking into account age and gender, SAT, VAT and EAT were associated with most cardiometabolic markers, while HFF was only associated with total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein ratio (TC/HDL-C) and triglycerides (TG). When comparing SAT, VAT and EAT head-to-head, VAT was the only adipose tissue location maintaining significant association with most markers of cardiometabolic risk. Greater VAT (>= 50th percentile) was associated with a worse cardiometabolic profile, whether individuals were overweight or normal weight. Conclusion: Even in nonobese and apparently healthy young women and men, accumulation of ectopic visceral adiposity in general, and of VAT in particular, is associated with a worse cardiometabolic profile whether individuals were overweight or normal weight. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.