Visceral Fat Area Loss Reduces 10-Year Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Chinese Population with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Strategic Insights -

A new prospective cohort study published in Lipids in Health and Disease has found that visceral fat area loss reduces 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The study, conducted by researchers at Hangzhou Medical College, followed 316 patients with T2DM for more than one year, measuring their visceral fat area (VFA) using bioimpedance and evaluating the association between VFA percentage change and cardiovascular risk (CVR).

Key Takeaways:

  • Visceral fat area loss is associated with reduced 10-year ASCVD risk in patients with T2DM, with a reduction of more than 14.82% leading to a significant decrease in risk.
  • The excessive VFA loss group had lower levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride-glucose index, LDL-C/HDL-C, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity, 10-year ASCVD risk, and atherogenic index of plasma compared to the VFA gain group.
  • VFA reduction of more than 14.82% led to a reduction in 10-year ASCVD risk, and VFA showed superior predictive value for changes in ASCVD risk, with an area under the pooled curve (AUC) of 0.585 (95% CI: 0.513-0.656).
  • This study provides evidence that VFA reduction is an effective predictor of 10-year ASCVD risk changes in patients with T2DM, and highlights the importance of monitoring VFA and implementing interventions to reduce abdominal obesity in these patients.

Statistics:

  • 316 patients with T2DM were followed up for more than one year in this prospective cohort study.
  • VFA reduction of more than 14.82% led to a reduction in 10-year ASCVD risk.
  • The AUC for VFA as a predictor of changes in ASCVD risk was 0.585 (95% CI: 0.513-0.656).

Sources:

  • Visceral fat area loss reduces 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk in Chinese population with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a prospective cohort study. Lipids in Health and Disease, 2025;24(1):308.
  • NewsRx. New Obesity and Diabetes Study Findings Have Been Reported by Researchers at Hangzhou Medical College (Visceral fat area loss reduces 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk in Chinese population with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a ...). Obesity & Diabetes Week. October 20, 2025; p 293.