Combined Impact and Association Between Obesity Phenotype and A-FABP with Cardiovascular Events

The following is a summary of “Association and Joint Effect of Adipocyte Fatty Acid Binding Protein and Obesity Phenotype With Cardiovascular Events,” published in the September 2023 issue of Endocrinology by Hu, et al.

Existing evidence was limited in terms of understanding how serum levels of adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (A-FABP) and various obesity phenotypes, characterized by factors such as fat percentage (fat%) and visceral fat area (VFA), collectively influence the risk of cardiovascular events. For a study, researchers sought to investigate the relationship between serum A-FABP levels and specific obesity phenotypes (as indicated by fat% and VFA) and assess their combined impact on the development of cardiovascular events.

The study encompassed 1,345 participants (579 men and 766 women) with no prior history of cardiovascular diseases at the study’s outset. Data regarding body composition and serum A-FABP levels were collected for these individuals. Measurements of fat% and VFA were performed using a bioelectrical impedance analyzer and magnetic resonance imaging, respectively.

Over an average follow-up duration of 7.6 years, a total of 136 cardiovascular events occurred, with an incidence rate of 13.9 per 1,000 person-years. For each unit increase in loge-transformed A-FABP levels, the risk of experiencing cardiovascular events increased significantly (hazard ratio [HR] 1.87, 95% CI 1.33-2.63). Participants in the highest tertiles of fat% and VFA levels displayed elevated risks of cardiovascular events (fat%: HR 2.38, 95% CI 1.49-3.81; VFA: HR 1.79, 95% CI 1.09-2.93). Notably, the association between A-FABP levels and cardiovascular events was more prominent among individuals with low fat%, regardless of their VFA levels. Furthermore, when high A-FABP levels co-occurred with obesity, a more substantial risk of cardiovascular events was observed.

Serum A-FABP levels were notably linked to the risk of experiencing cardiovascular events. The association was particularly pronounced in individuals with low fat% and was independent of their VFA levels. In cases where high A-FABP levels and obesity coexisted, the risk of cardiovascular events was significantly elevated.

Source: academic.oup.com/jcem/article/108/9/2353/7059032