Associations of Prerenal Fat, Carotid Intima–Media Thickness, and Plaque Formation in Cardiovascular Health—A Cross-Sectional Analysis Publisher



Zeinalkhani F ; Salehzadeh H ; Kamali Hakim P ; Zeinalkhani H ; Ghaffari M
Source: Egyptian Journal of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Published:2026

Abstract

Background: Prerenal fat, a visceral fat pad with distinct secretory and neural features, has been suggested to be associated with atherosclerosis and serves as a potential independent marker for cardiovascular risk. Carotid intima–media thickness is an accepted index for indirectly estimating vascular health and atherosclerosis, along with direct ultrasonographic visualization of atherosclerotic plaque. The study aims to evaluate the relationship between prerenal fat thickness and two key markers of cardiovascular health: carotid intima–media thickness and atherosclerotic plaque formation. Results: The correlation between prerenal fat and left carotid intima–media thickness (β = 0.003, AUC = 0.6, P value = 0.5) and right carotid intima–media thickness (β = 0.003, AUC = 0.6, P value = 0.4) and the number of plaques (β = 0.002, AUC = 0.5, P value = 0.9) was not significant. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate no significant correlation between prerenal fat thickness, left and right carotid intima–media thickness, or the number of atherosclerotic lesions on carotid artery ultrasound. © The Author(s) 2026.