Ettore Squillaci MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Francesca Bolacchi, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Marco Antonicoli, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Simone Altobelli, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Giovanni Simonetti MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among patients with type 2 diabetes. Although there is emerging evidence that excess visceral fat is associated with a cluster of cardiometabolic abnormalities in these patients, the impact of visceral obesity evaluated by a gold-standard method on future outcomes has not been studied. We aimed to investigate whether visceral obesity assessed by 1H-MRS was able to predict cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetic patients.

We studied 38 type 2 diabetic patients [age 63 ± 7 years; body mass index (BMI) 27 ± 5.2 kg/m(2). Visceral abdominal fat was analysed by single voxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). The MRS lipid spectrum was analysed and a lipid polyunsaturation index (PUI) was calculated. Fifteen healthy subjects were enrolled as controls. Cardiovascular events including acute myocardial infarction, angina, arrhythmia, uncontrolled blood pressure, stroke and cardiac failure were recorded during 24 months.

Cardiovascular events were 3-fold higher in patients with higher PUI index. The Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that patients with a high PUI index had shorter cardiovascular event-free time than those a normal PUI values (P = 0.031). In the univariate Cox analysis, PUI was associated with higher risk of cardiovascular events (hazard ratio = 3.4; 95% confidence interval = 1.1-10.5; P = 0.03). The prognostic power of PUI for cardiovascular events remained significant after adjustments for sex, age, diabetes, previous cardiovascular disease, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, BMI, GFR, hypertension, dyslipidemia and inflammation.

Visceral fat as analysed by 1H-MRS is a valuable tool in predicting cardiovascular events in diabetic type 2 patients.

Visceral fat 1H-MRS provides biomarkers that predict cardiovascular events in diabetic type 2 patients.

Squillaci, E, Bolacchi, F, Antonicoli, M, Altobelli, S, Simonetti, G, Visceral Obesity Assessed by 1H-MRS Predicts Cardiovascular Events in Type 2 Diabetic Patients.  Radiological Society of North America 2014 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, - ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2014/14003607.html