SummaryThis project will investigate the association between annual exposure to several environmental factors and body fat distribution measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). While there is growing evidence of an association of air pollution and noise with cardiometabolic diseases, research into the link between multiple environmental exposures and the volume of adipose tissue depots is lacking. However, it has been shown that these depots are important subclinical markers and risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases. To analyze this association, we will use geocoded data on multiple long-term residential environmental exposures (e.g. air pollution, air temperature variability, road traffic noise, light at night and greenness). The outcomes of interest are adipose tissue depots, including visceral adipose tissue (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), and different ectopic fat depots (e.g., liver, kidney, pancreas). We will also examine body composition subphenotypes that reflect individuals with higher cardiometabolic risk. Single-exposure models will estimate the impact of each environmental factor individually. To assess joint associations, we will implement exposure mixture approaches. As evidence on this link is still scarce, the NAKO study can provide substantial evidence on the association between environmental exposures and early cardiometabolic risk factors. Moreover, the large number of NAKO participants who underwent whole-body MRI and the large, detailed amount of geocoded environmental exposure data linked to them can help to overcome the major limitations of previous studies.

Keywords adipose-tissue-depots environmental-exposures exposure-mixture metabolic-phenotypes

InstitutionsHelmholtz Zentrum München, Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Radiologie Freiburg, Helmholtz Zentrum München - Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt