Table 1.
The relationship between various depots of fat and cardiovascular diseases
| Feature | SAT | Adipose tissue around the visceral organs | Ectopic fat | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VAT | EAT | PVAT | PNAT | Liver | Muscles | ||
| Location | Between the dermis and fascia | Adipose tissue around the abdominal visceral organs | Visceral fat between the myocardial surface and the visceral layer of the pericardium | Adipose tissue around the vessels (coronary arteries) regardless of location | Fat around the kidneys | Lipid (triglycerides) deposits in non-adipose liver tissue | Lipid (triglycerides) deposits in non-adipose muscle tissue |
| Type of adipose tissue | White | White | White | Brown/white | Brown | – | – |
| Imaging Modality | |||||||
| Ultrasonography | – | −/+ | + | – | – | + | – |
| Multidetector computed tomography | + | + | + | + | + | + | – |
| Magnetic resonance imaging | + | + | + | + | + | + | + |
| Magnetic resonance spectroscopy | – | – | – | – | – | + | + |
| Factors expressed | |||||||
| Peroxisomal proliferator | + | ++ | – | – | – | ||
| Activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) | ++ | + (obesity) | +/− | – | – | ||
| Uncoupling protein-1 | – | – | – | + | + | – | – |
| Uncoupling protein-2 | + | ++ | + | – | – | – | |
| Secretory activity | |||||||
| Lipoprotein lipase | + | + | – | + | + | + | |
| Free fatty acids | + | ++ (morbid obesity) | ++ | + | + | VLDL | + |
| Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 | ++ | + | + | ++ (morbid obesity) | + | – | – |
| Leptin | + | ++ | + | ++ (morbid obesity) | + | – | – |
| Resistin | – | ++ (morbid obesity) | – | – | – | ||
| Angiotensinogen | ++ | + | – | + | + | – | – |
| Adiponectin | ++ | + | – | + | – | – | |
| Tumor necrosis factor-α | + | + | + | – | + | – | – |
| Interleukin-6 | ++ | + | + | ++ (morbid obesity) | + | – | – |
| Interleukin-1β | + | + | + | ++ (morbid obesity) | + | – | – |
| Effects | Protective production of adiponectin | • Gluconeogenesis • Insulin resistance • Dyslipidemia • Systemic inflammation |
• Protecting cardiomyocytes from hyperthermia • Synthesis of adiponectin and adrenomedullin • Source of energy during ischemia • Absorption of excess FFA • Synthesis of inflammation markers • Associated with myocardial hypertrophy • Myocardial fibrosis and apoptosis of cardiomyocytes |
Vasodilation | • Associated with microalbuminuria • Thermoregulation • Structural involvement in the regulation of renal vessel tone • Synthesis of inflammation markers |
• Gluconeogenesis • Insulin resistance • Dyslipidemia |
• Insulin resistance • Dyslipidemia |
SAT subcutaneous adipose tissue, VAT visceral adipose tissue, EAT epicardial adipose tissue, PVAT perivascular adipose tissue, PNAT paranepalic adipose tissue