The Relationship Between Perimesenteric Fat and Measures of Central Adiposity in Young Adults

Visceral fat has been identified as a key contributor to metabolic disorders owing to its association with decreased adipocytokine function. Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT), a specialized local deposit of adipose tissue surrounding arteries, has been shown to regulate vascular tone through adipocytokine functions but is compromised in obesity, contributing to increased vascular resistance. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between PVAT of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), body mass index (BMI), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). WHR and BMI were anthropometric measurements used to assess body composition. A GE LOGIQ ultrasound system with a 12 MHz abdominal probe transducer was used to measure VAT at the SMA, VAT at the umbilicus, and PVAT of SMA in 31 healthy participants, male and female, aged 18-30. Pearson’s correlation matrix was generated to assess the strength of the correlation between variables, and ANOVA was used to assess the statistical significance of Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) values. PVAT positively correlated with BMI, WHR, and VAT (p<0.05). Interestingly, PVAT was more strongly correlated with BMI than with WHR and should be considered when evaluating PVAT if ultrasound is not available. Perimesenteric fat is also associated with adiposity. Further investigation is required to assess the associations between PVAT of other named arteries with measures of adiposity in older adults and patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). In addition, given the vascular dysfunction associated with excess PVAT, correlations with factors such as blood flow and pressure should be considered.