Association Between Abdominal Body Composition, Inflammation, and Risk for Cardiovascular Disease (The MESA ABD Study)

Obesity is a growing public health concern, with approximately 31% of Americans considered obese. The link between abdominal obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been well established, but the effect of distinct types of abdominal fat tissue on CVD risk is not well known. The rate of obesity and the distribution of abdominal fat differ with age, sex, and ethnicity. These differences may have important implications for determining ethnic-specific relationships between abdominal body composition (ABC), inflammation, and CVD events. This study will evaluate the association between measures of abdominal fat, CVD risk, and inflammation in terms of ethnicity-, sex-, and age-specific differences.