Gordura visceral, subcutânea e peri-renal: estudo de correlação com fatores de risco para aterotrombose utilizando a ultrasonografia

Abstract

Background: The metabolic syndrome (MS) brings together a number of proatherogenic and pro-thrombotic risk-factors, which often culminate in premature death caused by atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and ischemic events. Objectives: To evaluate the usefulness of ultrasonography (US) in the quantification of abdominal subcutaneous (SCF), visceral (VF) and peri-renal (PRF) fat deposits in healthy volunteers and in patients with MS, correlating the measurements obtained with the variables linked to increased risk of ischemic cardiovascular events. Methods: Cross-sectional study with 50 patients initially to validate the method and then with 15 patients with MS and 10 controls. Results: The values of VF showed significant positive correlations with glucose (GLC), waist circumference (WC), triglycerides (TG), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GPT), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and diastolic blood pressure post-exercise (DBPe), and a positive borderline correlation with gammaglutamyl- transferase (γGT). The values of PRF showed significant positive correlations with WC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, total cholesterol (TC), GPT, SBP and DBP, and positive borderline correlations with systolic blood pressure post-exercise (SBPe) and DBPe. The values of VPRF showed positive correlations with GLC, WC, TG, GPT, SBP and DBP, and a positive borderline correlation with γGT. Values of VF, PRF and VPRF equal to or greater than 6.7, 0.55 and 7.3 cm were associated with the occurrence of a minimum of three risk factors for MS. Conclusion: The abdominal US is a valid and reproducible method in the evaluation of VF, PRF and VPRF, which have positive correlations with the main variables linked to MS.