Visceral adipose tissue, aortic distensibility and atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk across body mass index categories

Visceral obesity, measured by advanced imaging modalities, is linked to greater aortic stiffness and elevated risk of ASCVD, independent of BMI, in individuals without known ASCVD. Notably, these associations were observed mostly in non-obese subjects, with the strongest associations found in the normal BMI group. These findings highlight the additional predictive value of visceral obesity over general measures like BMI or WHR, particularly among non-obese individuals.