The Association between Trunk Fat Percentage and Arterial Stiffness (2024)

Undergraduate: Sophia Kaczynski

Faculty Advisor: Erik Hanson
Department: Exercise and Sport Science

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Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a measure of arterial stiffness. A higher PWV independently predicts cardiovascular disease risk. Prior studies have demonstrated positive associations between adiposity and PWV, but have relied on bioelectrical impedance to assess adiposity, which is influenced by confounding factors such as hydration status, and brachial-femoral PWV, which provides a sub-optimal measure of central arterial stiffness. This study examined associations between trunk fat % (reflecting visceral adiposity and its potential impact on major arteries) and arterial stiffness in college-based young adults (N=152), using gold standard dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and carotid-femoral PWV (VICORDER® device; cfPWV). Multiple linear regressions adjusted for race revealed a non-significant relationship between trunk fat % and cfPWV in our total sample with males and females combined (β = -0.004, p = 0.641, 95% CI = -0.023 — 0.014). Due to the potential for sex differences, the analyses were run separately for males and females. There was a non-significant positive association between trunk fat % and cfPWV in males (β = 0.003, p = 0.866, 95% CI = -0.030 — 0.035) and a non-significant negative relationship in females (β = -0.002, p = 0.867, 95% CI = -0.023 — 0.020). In this preliminary analysis, no overall relationship emerged between trunk fat % and cfPWV. However, the opposing trends for males and females warrant further exploration in a larger and more diverse sample, as this may hold implications for understanding sex disparities in cardiovascular disease risk.