Associations between visceral adipose and renal artery calcification: Results from the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis

Abstract

Background

Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) has been associated with higher levels of atherosclerosis. Renal artery calcification (RAC) secondary to atherosclerosis has been found to be associated with an increase in all-cause mortality.

Methods

1 978 participants underwent CT imaging to measure VAT and RAC. Rate ratio regression was used to estimate prevalence ratios (PRs) for the presence of RAC, while linear regression was used to estimate linear coefficients for the severity of RAC.

Results

1 196 participants had complete VAT and RAC measurements. In adjusted models, VAT area was not associated with RAC presence (PR 1.02, 95 % CI 0.89, 1.16, p = 0.80), while greater VAT density was inversely, but not significantly, associated with RAC presence (PR 0.89, 95 % CI 0.78, 1.02, p = 0.10). Among 354 participants with RAC > 0, VAT area was significantly associated with RAC severity (slope 63.32, 95 % CI 11.84, 114.81, p = 0.02), while VAT density was not associated (slope 9.78, 95 % CI -40.87, 60.44, p = 0.71).

Conclusions

VAT area and density are not significantly associated with RAC presence, while greater VAT area is significantly associated with RAC severity among those with RAC > 0. Our results are the first describing the relationship between VAT and RAC, and are in contrast to previous literature demonstrating a significant association between VAT and coronary artery calcification.