A Preliminary Assessment On Visceral Fat Accumulation In Hypertensiv E Patients By Two-dimensional Ultrasound

ObjectiveTo investigate the relationships of hypertension with visceral fat accumulation and carotid intimal lesions, the visceral fat thickness in defferent parts including epicardial adipose tissue and carotid intima-media thickness(IMT) was assessed by two-dimensional ultrasound in hypertensive patients.MethodsTwo hundred and thirteen hospitalized patients with hypertension were enrolled in our hospital including 101 cases of essential hypertension(group A, aged 65.18± 13.33, male 61 cases), and 112 cases of hypertension with blood glucose and/or serum lipid abnormalities (group B, aged 63.29 ± 10.59, male 65 cases).67 cases heathy volunteers to be control (group C, age of 60.82 ± 13.34,37 males),those cases with blood glucose and lipid abnormalities were excluded. The thickness of visceral fat (Epicardial adipose tissue and Pericardial adipose tissue, Visceral fat thickness, Peri renal fat and Para renal fat) were measured by two-dimensional ultrasound. Abdominal subcutaneous fat, and the total amount of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) was also detected, the correlation between visceral fat thickness in each group and blood pressure as well as other clinical data was analyzed.Results1. Except for slightly higher BMI(24.67 ± 3.18 vs 23.07 ± 2.45, P<0.05) in hypertensive patients, no significant differences in gender and age was found between the whole hypertensive group(A +B) and group C; and no difference in fasting blood glucose, serum lipids was found between Group B and group C.2. Each visceral fat thickness in hypertension entire group and essential hypertension group were higher than the C group (but there was no differences in abdominal subcutaneous fat among the 3 groups);each visceral fat thickness were correlated with the patient’s age, body mass index and blood pressure with different degrees, the epicardial adipose tissue were correlated with age, blood pressure (r=0.57,0.32, P<0.05), and when adjusted by age, BMI and other factors interfere, the partial correlation analysis showed the epicardial adipose tissue was positively correlated with the level of blood pressure (r=0.41), P<0.05), while Visceral fat thickness, Peri renal fat and Para renal fat were correlated with gender, BMI and lipid levels(r=0.28-0.51, P<0.05).3. epicardial adipose tissue were correlated with IMT (r=0.53, P<0.05), they were both correlated with blood pressure (r=0.24-0.32, P<0.05).Conclusions1.Two-dimensional ultrasound can be used to measure visceral fat thickness including pericardial adipose tissue in patients with hypertension, providing an optional method in research about the visceral fat;2. Visceral fat deposition correlate with blood pressure in hypertensive patients, and similar to other components of the metabolic syndrome, hypertension itself might be one of the contributing factors in the development of the visceral fat deposition;3. Pericardial adipose tissue has a closer relationship with hypertension than other visceral fat. Like carotid IMT, pericardial adipose tissue might become another predictor of cardiovascular complications in hypertensive patients.