ATHEROSCLEROSIS IN RELATION TO FAT PENNICULUS (OBESITY) BETWEEN XIPHOID AND UMBILICUS

Authors

  • Amjad Naeem
  • Ruhila Hanif

Abstract

Background: It has been shown that possible influence of body weight is more evident forcoronary than aortic atherosclerosis; and more in men than women. Coronary heart disease due toobesity in males becomes significant when body mass index (BMI) exceeds 30 (30% overweight)and does not affect the life expectancy particularly in women. This study was conducted to assesthe relation of thickness of fat penniculus (obesity) between xiphoid and umbilicus to differentatherosclerotic lesions; and to collect basic data about age and sex distribution of this relation.Methods: It was prospective descriptive study and conducted at mortuary of King EdwardMedical University, and Department of Pathology, Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore. A totalof 130 human autopsies were carried out in one-and-a-half year of study duration. The ages of thedeceased ranged between 8 and 85 years. Heart aorta and its major branches were included in thisstudy. In addition, fat penniculus between xiphoid and umbilicus was measured andatherosclerosis lesions were categorised and correlated with this parameter. Haematoxylin andEosin, and different special stains were done in Pathology Department of Allama Iqbal MedicalCollege, Lahore to asses to severity of atherosclerosis lesions. Results: The fatty streaks werepresent in predominantly more cases with Fat Penniculus <20 mm than in asses with FatPenniculus <10 mm and <30 mm. The fibrolipid plaques, complicated and calcified lesions werepresent in a dominant number of cases with Fat Penniculus <30 mm on percentage basis.Conclusion: Raised lesions were seen more frequently in cases with Fat Penniculus 20 mm to <30mm than in cases with Fat Penniculus <10 mm and <20 mm thickness.Keywords: Atherosclerosis, Fat Penniculus, Lesions

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Published

2010-03-01

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