Comparison of epicardial, abdominal and regional fat compartments in response to weight loss
Received 7 November 2008; received in revised form 12 January 2009; accepted 29 January 2009. published online 13 April 2009.
Abstract
Background and aims
Echocardiographic measurement of epicardial fat (EF) seems to be a reliable and diagnostic marker of visceral adipose tissue (VAT). However, the weight loss-induced changes in EF have not been compared with those in VAT or the truncal depot. In this study, we aimed to compare the weight loss-induced changes in EF, VAT and other regional fat compartments in obese men.
Methods and results
In this study, 27 moderately obese men (age 45.8±1.7 years; body mass index 30.5±0.7kg/m2) followed a daily low-calorie diet as part of a clinical 12-week weight loss interventional study. We evaluated the EF thickness by transthoracic echocardiography, assessed the abdominal fat tissues by computed tomography scans, and examined the regional and whole body fat compartments by dual X-ray absorptiometry. An average decrease of 26.8% in the initial calorie intake corresponded to post-program reductions of 17.2%, 11.0%, 16.6%, and 29.8% in EF thickness (P<0.001), body mass, percentage fat mass, and abdominal fat compartments, respectively. The percentage change in VAT in response to weight loss was twice as high as the substantial change in EF tissue (P<0.001).
Conclusion
The results of the study suggest that a low-calorie diet-induced weight loss decreases EF thickness. Moderate diet-induced weight loss alone may represent an effective nonpharmacological strategy for reducing EF, which is a unique, pathogenic fat depot and an emerging marker of VAT.
aGraduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, Department of Sports Medicine for Health and Disease, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
bDepartment of Radiation, Higashi Toride Hospital, Ibaraki, Japan
cCenter for Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
ABSTRACT