OC 54.3 - Body fat distribution and coagulation profiles: exploring the link between obesity and venous thromboembolism

Tuesday, June 25, 2024

10:00 – 10:15 ICT

Room: Ballroom B4

Presenting Author(s)

Judith Verlaan, MSc

PhD Student
Leiden University Medical Center
Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands

Co-Author(s)

LS

Luuk Scheres

Post doc
Leiden University Medical Center
Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
FR

Frits R Rosendaal

Professor at Leiden University Medical Center and Chairman of the Clinical Epidemiology Department
Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
VG

Victor Gerdes

Medical Specialist
Amsterdam University Medical Centers
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Suzanne C. Cannegieter

MD, PhD, prof
Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
HL

Hildo Lamb

Professor Radiology
Leiden University Medical Center
Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
Rd

Renée de Mutsert

Associate professor
Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
Astrid van Hylckama Vlieg

Associate professor
Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands

Background: Obesity, defined as body mass index (BMI)≥30, is an important risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, BMI does not distinguish types of body fat and the mechanism linking BMI and VTE remains unclear.

Aims: To obtain a deeper understanding of the association between BMI and VTE, we evaluated the associations between measures of abdominal fat (i.e., abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (aSAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT)), liver fat and VTE-associated coagulation parameters (VIII, IX, XI, fibrinogen, and thrombin generation) in middle-aged men and women.

Methods: In 1785 participants of the Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity study, aSAT and VAT were assessed with MRI, liver fat with H-MR spectroscopy, and blood was sampled to measure coagulation parameters. Linear regression was performed to examine associations between tertiles of body fat measures and coagulation parameters, stratified by sex and adjusted for age, BMI, other types of body fat than the exposure, ethnicity, smoking, education level, physical activity, alcohol, hormone use, menopausal status, and active cancer. All participants provided informed consent, and the study was approved by the Leiden University Medical Center's medical ethical committee.

Results: Data from the participants were analyzed (characteristics in Table). Results indicated similar associations between liver fat/VAT and several coagulation parameters in both sexes. Liver fat was associated with elevated FXI levels and VAT was associated with increased FVIII, FIX, FXI, fibrinogen levels, and thrombin generation profiles. aSAT was not associated with any of the coagulation parameters in men, while in women aSAT was associated with increased levels of FVIII, FIX, and thrombin generation profiles (Figure).

Conclusion(s): Liver fat and VAT showed similar associations with coagulation parameters in men and women. aSAT was associated with several coagulation parameters in women, while no associations were seen in men. The study highlights the role of body fat measures in coagulation.