Tayler Loyd

Too much visceral fat may increase a woman’s risk of developing osteoporosis, according to a study presented Tuesday at the annual meeting of the RSNA. 

The study tested 50 premenopausal women with a mean body mass index of 30. The women were tested for abdominal subcutaneous, visceral, and total fat, as well as bone marrow fat and bone mineral density. Bone fat was measured using MR spectroscopy of the L4 vertebra. Bone mineral density of the L4 vertebra was measured using quantitative CT.

The imaging revealed an inverse correlation between visceral fat and bone mineral density. The more visceral fat a woman had, the lower her bone mineral density. The results did not show a correlation between subcutaneous fat and total abdominal fat or bone mineral density and bone marrow fat.

Until now, it had been believed that obese women were at lower risk of developing osteoporosis and that excess body fat actually protected against bone loss.

“We know that obesity is a major public health concern,” said lead author Dr. Miriam A. Bredella, an assistant professor of radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital. “Now we know that abdominal obesity needs to be included as a risk factor for osteoporosis and bone loss.”

Based on records from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 72 million people in the U.S. are obese. To be classified obese, a person must have a body mass index of 30 or greater.

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Too much visceral fat may increase a woman’s risk of developing osteoporosis, according to a study presented Tuesday at the annual meeting of the RSNA.

Imaging finds link between visceral fat, osteoporosis

People with obstructive sleep apnea have a higher risk of developing coronary atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease, according to a study presented Tuesday at the annual RSNA meeting.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a common disorder associated with obesity, occurs when a person’s airway collapses while sleeping, causing him or her to repeatedly stop breathing for 10 seconds or more. Major symptoms of sleep apnea include loud snoring and daytime drowsiness.

Patients with OSA have more noncalcified plaque in their coronary arteries, which puts them at risk for all acute heart events such as heart attacks, unstable angina, and sudden death, said the study’s lead author Dr. U. Joseph Schoepf, a professor of radiology and medicine and director of cardiovascular imaging at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

The study included 49 obese patients with OSA and 46 obese patients without the condition. Each patient was imaged with coronary CT angiography. All patients had a similar cardiovascular risk.

The correlation between coronary artery disease and sleep apnea was apparent after observing the effect of noncalcified plaque on the study participants. Patients who had OSA did not have a significantly different global calcium score than patients without the disorder. There was, however, a significantly higher prevalence of noncalcified plaque and mixed plaque in patients with OSA. Those patients also had more extensive vessel involvement as well as narrowing in the heart vessels. 

The researchers found 88% of OSA patients had narrowing in at least one vessel, compared with 50% of non-OSA patients. In addition, one-third of OSA patients had narrowing in four vessels, the researchers found.

If this study were performed on a larger scale, coronary CT angiography could be a useful tool for discovering the relationship between coronary artery disease and obstructive sleep apnea. The exam could possibly lead to more aggressive approaches in lipid-lowering therapy as well as lifestyle changes,” Schoepf said.

Author | Tayler Loyd

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Imaging finds link between visceral fat, osteoporosis

Snore much? You’re at risk for aggressive heart disease, study finds