Preperitoneal fat thickness determined by ultrasonography is correlated with coronary stenosis and lipid disorders in non-obese male subjects

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between preperitoneal fat thickn ess (PFT) determined by ultrasonography and the risk of coronary arterial d isease, 130 non-obese patients with ischemic heart disease (77 men and 53 w omen) were examined. RESULTS: There was a positive correlation between PFT and coronary artery s tenosis score (r = 0.212, P < 0.05). After dividing the patients by gender, the correlation was recognized only in men (r = 0.246, P < 0.05). Also, PF T was positively correlated to serum total cholesterol (r = 0.259, P < 0.01 ), triglyceride (r = 0.205, P < 0.05) and low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cho lesterol (r = 0.205, P < 0.05), and negatively correlated to serum high den sity lipoprotein (HDL)cholesterol (r = - 0.261, P < 0.01). Again, these cor relations were found only in men, not in women. CONCLUSION: PFT shows good correlations with coronary artery stenosis score and dislipidemia, and may lead to the development of coronary artery disea se in non-obese male subjects.