Pericardial fat volume and coronary risk factors as predictors of non-calcified coronary plaque presence among patients with coronary calcium score = 0

TL;DR

This study finds that higher BMI is a key predictor of non-calcified coronary plaque in patients with zero coronary calcium scores.

Contribution

The study identifies BMI as an independent predictor of non-calcified plaque in patients with zero coronary calcium scores.

Findings

Patients with non-calcified plaque had higher BMI, older age, diabetes, and increased pericardial fat volume.

In multivariate analysis, only high BMI remained a significant independent predictor of non-calcified plaque.

Advanced age, diabetes, and increased pericardial fat volume were associated with non-calcified plaque presence.

Abstract

There is scarce data linking pericardial fat volume (PFV) and classical coronary risk factors with non-calcified plaque presence among patients with CAC = 0 in the literature.

A total of 811 patients with chest pain suggestive of angina underwent CT coronary angiography for the assessment of coronary artery disease were collected. Of these, 417 with CAC = 0 were included in the analysis.

Patients with non-calcified plaque were older (54 ± 9 versus 50 ± 10, P = 0.01) and had a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus (31% versus 17%, P = 0.02), high BMI (29.9 versus 28.3, P = 0.04), and increased PFV (123 cm3 versus 99 cm3, P < 0.01) compared to patients without plaque. In multivariate regression analysis, high BMI[OR(CI) = 1.1(1–1.3), P = 0.02] was an independent predictor of non-calcified coronary plaque presence among patients with CAC = 0 after adjustment to variables with P < 0.05 in the univariate analysis.

In patients with a CAC score of 0, advanced age, diabetes mellitus, increased PFV, and high BMI were all associated with the presence of non-calcified plaque. After multivariate adjustment, increased BMI remained a significant independent predictor for non-calcified plaque presence.