Skip Navigation
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Use this QR code to view the newest version of this document
Use this QR code to view the newest version of this document

Your Environment. Your Health.

Publication Detail

Title: Adiposity and Interstitial Lung Abnormalities in Community-Dwelling Adults: The MESA Cohort Study.

Authors: Anderson, Michaela R; Kim, John S; Allison, Matthew; Giles, Jon T; Hoffman, Eric A; Ding, Jingzhong; Barr, R Graham; Podolanczuk, Anna

Published In Chest, (2021 08)

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Obesity is associated with restrictive ventilatory defects and a faster rate of decline in FVC. This association is not exclusively mediated by mechanical factors and may reflect direct pulmonary injury by adipose-derived mediators. RESEARCH QUESTION: Is adipose tissue involved in the pathogenesis of interstitial lung disease (ILD)? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We evaluated the association of CT measures of pericardial, abdominal visceral, and abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue with high-attenuation areas (HAAs) and interstitial lung abnormalities (ILAs) in a large multicenter cohort study of community-dwelling adults, using multivariable-adjusted models. We secondarily evaluated the association of adipose depot size with FVC and biomarkers of obesity and inflammation. RESULTS: In fully adjusted models, every doubling in pericardial adipose tissue volume was associated with a 63.4-unit increase in HAA (95% CI, 55.5-71.3), 20% increased odds of ILA (95% CI, -2% to 50%), and a 5.5% decrease in percent predicted FVC (95% CI, -6.8% to -4.3%). IL-6 levels accounted for 8% of the association between pericardial adipose tissue and HAA. Every doubling in visceral adipose tissue area was associated with a 41.5-unit increase in HAA (95% CI, 28.3-54.7), 30% increased odds of ILA (95% CI, -10% to 80%), and a 5.4% decrease in percent predicted FVC (95% CI, -6.6% to -4.3%). IL-6 and leptin accounted for 17% and 18%, respectively, of the association between visceral adipose tissue and HAA. INTERPRETATION: Greater amounts of pericardial and abdominal visceral adipose tissue were associated with CT measures of early lung injury and lower FVC in a cohort of community-dwelling adults. Adipose tissue may represent a modifiable risk factor for ILD.

PubMed ID: 33844978 Exiting the NIEHS site

MeSH Terms: Adiposity*; Aged; Biomarkers/analysis; Female; Humans; Independent Living*; Male; Middle Aged; Phenotype; Prospective Studies; Respiratory System Abnormalities/diagnostic imaging; Respiratory System Abnormalities/epidemiology*; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Back
to Top