Association of the new visceral adiposity index with coronary artery calcification and arterial stiffness in Korean population.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The new visceral adiposity index (NVAI) is an indirect marker of visceral adipose tissue recently developed using a Korean population. Here we examined the association of NVAI with coronary artery calcification and arterial stiffness in asymptomatic Korean patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: We analyzed data from 60,938 asymptomatic Korean adults. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for coronary artery calcification score (CACS) > 100 and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) ≥14 m/s were calculated across NVAI tertiles using multiple logistic regression analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and area under the curve (AUC) analyses were used to assess the ability of NVAI to predict moderate to high risk of cardiovascular disease. The prevalence of moderate and high risk of cardiovascular disease increased significantly as the NVAI tertile increased. The odds ratio (95% CI) of the highest NVAI tertile for CACS >100 was 5.840 (5.101-6.686) for men and 18.916 (11.232-31.855) for women, after adjusting for confounders. All NVAI AUC values were significantly higher than the AUC values for other visceral adiposity markers. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the evidence that NVAI is independently and positively associated with coronary calcification and arterial stiffness in asymptomatic Korean adults.

Comparison of pancreatic volume and fat amount linked with glucose homeostasis between healthy Caucasians and Koreans.

AIM: To compare pancreatic volume and fat amount, and their associations with glucose homeostasis, in a Korean and a white population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 43 healthy Korean and 43 healthy white people, matched for age (±3 years) and body mass index (BMI; ±1 kg/m2 ), we measured pancreatic volume and fat amount in the pancreas and abdomen using computed tomography. Pancreatic ß-cell function and insulin resistance were estimated according to biochemical characteristics and a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test. Body composition and resting energy expenditure (REE) were examined using bioimpedance and indirect calorimetry, respectively. RESULTS: The mean ±SD age of the participants was 29.9 ± 5.9 years and 30.0 ± 5.2 years, and BMI was 24.0 ±3.7 and 24.1 ±3.2 kg/m2 in the white participants and the Korean participants, respectively. Pancreatic volume in the white participants was greater than that in Korean participants (77.8 ±11.6 vs 68.2 ±12.1 cm3 ; P < .001). Pancreatic fat content in Korean participants was 22.8% higher than in white participants (P = .051). Insulinogenic index, disposition index, muscle mass and REE were significantly lower in Korean participants. Pancreatic volume was positively associated with indices linked to ß-cell function; fat content in the pancreas was negatively associated with such indices, and positively with insulin resistance after adjusting for relevant variables including REE. CONCLUSIONS: A smaller pancreas and higher fat deposition might be crucial determinants of vulnerability to diabetes in Korean people compared with white people with similar BMI and body fat levels.