Visceral fat is considered as a major risk factor for metabolic disease and cardiovascular disease. This study investigated whether visceral fat to subcutaneous fat ratio (VSR) was associated with high carotid plaque score (PS) in individuals with type 2 diabetes. A total of 1966 patients with type 2 diabetes was enrolled. Visceral fat and android fat were automatically assessed using a dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and subcutaneous fat (g) were calculated as follows: android fat (g) - visceral fat (g). Carotid PS was ranged from 0 to 12 and high PS was defined as ≥ 3. Patients with high PS were 841 (42.8%). They were more likely to be old and male and had higher systolic blood pressure (SBP), visceral fat, and VSR, but lower diastolic BP (DBP), HDL cholesterol, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), subcutaneous fat, and grip strength than those without high PS. Subjects in the highest sex-specific VSR tertile group were older and had higher SBP, waist circumference (WC), visceral fat, triglyceride, and PS, but lower DBP, subcutaneous fat, appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM)/BMI, grip strength, HDL cholesterol, and eGFR compared with those in the lowest group. The prevalence of high PS was progressively increased with increasing sex-specific VSR tertile (lowest vs. middle vs. highest = 28.1% vs. 42.2% vs. 57.9%, p < 0.001). The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the presence of high PS after adjusted for age and sex, were 1.45 (1.12 - 1.87. p = 0.004) in the middle and 1.92 (1.48 - 2.49, p < 0.001) in the highest VSR tertile groups. The ORs and 95% CIs in the higher VSR groups were remained significant after further adjusted for WC, SBP, DBP, triglyceride, HDL cholesterol, eGFR, ASM/BMI, and grip strength (p < 0.01).
In conclusion, higher VSR was significantly associated with high PS in patients with type 2 diabetes, independent of multiple potential risk factors.
J. Shin: None.
