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CompletedNCT00402922Updated Jan 25, 2017

Evaluating the Association Between Pericardial Fat and Coronary Heart Disease - Ancillary to MESA

An observational study in Coronary Disease, sponsored by Wake Forest University. Completed. Open to participants aged 45 Years to 84 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2017-01-25.

Sponsored by Wake Forest University · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Retrospective
Enrollment
6,814
Ages
45 Years to 84 Years
Sex
All
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Study summary

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in the United States. One common risk factor for CHD is obesity. The presence of certain types of fat over others is more commonly associated with the development of CHD. This study will use data from a previous study to examine the association between pericardial fat, a type of fat that surrounds the heart, and CHD.

Read the detailed description

CHD is caused by a narrowing of the small blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. It usually results from atherosclerosis, a condition in which deposits of fat, cholesterol, and other substances build up along the inner walls of arteries. Risk factors for CHD include tobacco use, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. Visceral fat, the type of fat found in the abdomen and surrounding vital organs, is considered a greater risk factor for CHD than subcutaneous fat, the type of fat found directly below the skin. Pericardial fat, the fat surrounding the heart, is similar to visceral fat, and may be particularly damaging because of its lipotoxicity effects and its ability to trigger inflammation in the coronary arteries. Increased amounts of pericardial fat may therefore accelerate the development of atherosclerosis and CHD. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between pericardial fat and the development of CHD.

This study will use previously collected data from participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) study, a study that examined characteristics of the subclinical, or the early stages of, cardiovascular disease in individuals. There will be no study visits specifically for this study. Participants' study data and computed tomography (CT) scans will be analyzed to determine the following: 1) the presence of pericardial fat and subclinical CHD at study entry; 2) changes in pericardial fat levels and plaque formation; and 3) the presence of pericardial fat and CHD at a 6-year follow-up visit.

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Conditions studied

03

In context

Heart Diseases

3,639 studies on the registry are indexed under Heart Diseases; 461 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 6,814 is above the median of 294 across 1,241 observational studies indexed under Heart Diseases.

Browse Heart Diseases studies →

Lead sponsor

Wake Forest University is the lead sponsor of 116 studies on the registry; 7 are open to participants now.

Of its 31 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 27 (87%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
45 Years to 84 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

Participant in the MESA study

Inclusion criteria

  • Participant in the MESA study
  • Had a baseline and 6-year follow-up CT scan as part of the MESA study

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Participant did not have a baseline or 6 year follow-up CT in the MESA study
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Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Retrospective
Enrollment
6,814 participants (actual)
06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Coronary heart disease events

    Time frame: 6 years

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Study locations

No study locations are listed for this record.

08

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jan 25, 2017, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT00402922
Lead sponsor
Wake Forest University
Collaborators
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Responsible party
Jingzhong Ding, PhD (Associate Professor, Wake Forest University Health Sciences) — Principal investigator
First posted
Nov 23, 2006
Start date
Aug 2006
Primary completion
Feb 2008
Completion
May 2012
Last update
Jan 25, 2017

Study contacts

Jingzhong Ding, MD, PhD
principal investigator · Wake Forest University Health Sciences

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Jan 2017. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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