Association between Deep Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue Estimated by DAAT Index and Dietary Intake in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

Abstract

Background: Abdominal obesity has been associated with cardiovascular disease and may be modulated by dietary intake. The deep abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (dSAT) is a body fat compartment that can be estimated by using mathematical formulas. Objectives: To evaluate the association between dSAT estimated by the Deep-Abdominal-Adipose-Tissue (DAAT) index and dietary intake in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted with patients ≥ 18 years of age admitted to a tertiary hospital. Sociodemographic, clinical, and anthropometric (body weight [kg], height [m], waist, hip and neck circumferences [cm]) data were evaluated. A food frequency questionnaire was applied to identify each patient’s nutrient intake. The DAAT index was calculated according to specific formulas for men and women. Possible association between food intake and the DAAT index was evaluated by multiple linear regression. The level of significance adopted was 0.05. Results: This study evaluated 138 patients, with a mean age of 61.2±10.8 years. Prevalence of obesity was 29.4% in men and 37.7% in women. Regarding waist circumference, 83% of the women showed values considered to be very high. The DAAT index was significantly higher in men when compared to woman (P < 0.0001) and proved to be positively correlated with proteins (r= 0.22, P= 0.01) and monounsaturated fatty acid (r= 0.18, P= 0.04) intake in the entire sample. After adjustment for sex, alcohol consumption, and levels of physical activity, the DAAT index was associated with the female sex (B=-129.84, P <0.001) and a sedentary lifestyle (B= 57.99, P <0.001). Conclusion: dSAT estimated by the DAAT index was not associated with dietary intake in patients with ACS.