Objectives: The link between obesity and hypertension with coronary atherosclerosis is complex. We aimed to assess the association of cardiac fat deposition measured by pericardial fat volume(PFV) using by multi-detector CT(MDCT) and general obesity measured by BMI with subclinical coronary atherosclerotic markers (coronary artery calcium score (CAC), coronary plaque and stenosis) in patients with hypertension and suspected coronary artery disease.
Methods: Among 496 patients presenting with chest pain who underwent 64-slice MDCT angiography to exclude occlusive coronary disease, 261 patients with hypertension (age: 57 ± 8 years, 45% males) enrolled in the present study.
Results: PFV showed a significant association with CAC(r = 0.2,P = .001),coronary stenosis severity(PFV median(IQR) 88(63-161) in patients with coronary stenosis<50% compared to PFV median(IQR) 125(85-140) in patients with coronary stenosis ≥ 50%, P = .001) and coronary plaque presence (PFV median (IQR) 89(65-128) in patients without plaque compared to PFV median (IQR) 115(74-150) in patients with plaque presence = 0.03).the significant association of PFV with CAC[odds ratio(95% confidence interval = 0.5(0.19-0.97),P = .001] and coronary stenosis severity [odds ratio(95% confidence interval = 1.1(1.00-1.01),P = .01]persisted after adjustment for conventional cardiac risk. BMI showed a significant association with significant coronary stenosis presence (P = .02).The association of BMI with significant coronary stenosis presence after adjustment for conventional cardiac risk factors (P = .03).BMI showed no significant association with CAC and coronary plaque presence (P > .05).
Conclusion: PFV showed a significant independent association with coronary calcification and significant coronary stenosis in patients with hypertension rather than BMI.
Keywords: BMI; Hypertension; MDCT; coronary atherosclerosis; pericardial fat.