WEI Chao, WANG Xi, ZHANG Hao, et al
Journal of Clinical Radiology. 2026, 45(3): 540-545.
Objective To investigate the association between abdominal fat indexes measured by quantitative CT(QCT)and white matter hyperintensities(WMH)in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM),and to evaluate their diagnostic value. Methods CT and MRI data of 247 patients with T2DM were retrospectively analyzed.According to cranial MRI findings,subjects were divided into no-WMH,mild-WMH,and moderate-to-severe WMH groups.QCT software was used to measure subcutaneous fat area(SFA),visceral fat area(VFA),total fat area(TFA),and the ratio of VFA to SFA(VFA/SFA)at the L3 vertebral level.Differences among groups were compared.Multivariate Logistic regression was used to identify independent influencing factors for WMH.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were constructed to analyze the predictive efficacy of single and combined indicators for the occurrence and severity of WMH. Results Age,duration of T2DM,history of hypertension,glycated hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c),homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance(HOMA-IR),VFA,TFA,and VFA/SFA were significantly higher in the WMH group than in the non-WMH group(all P<0.05).Age,body mass index(BMI),HbA1c,fasting plasma glucose(FPG),homocysteine(HCY),HOMA-IR,VFA,TFA,and VFA/SFA were significantly higher in the moderate-to-severe WMH group than in the mild WMH group(all P<0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that age,duration of T2DM,HbA1c,history of hypertension,and VFA were independent influencing factors for WMH.ROC curve analysis showed that for predicting WMH,the AUCs for VFA,VFA/SFA,HbA1c,and their combination were 0.744,0.733,0.652,and 0.781,respectively;sensitivities were 76.4%,91.2%,48.0%,and 78.4%,respectively;and specificities were 67.7%,49.5%,78.8%,and 67.7%,respectively.For predicting moderate-to-severe WMH,the corresponding AUCs were 0.736,0.709,0.692,and 0.818;sensitivities were 87.0%,88.4%,53.6%,and 79.7%;and specificities were 48.1%,41.8%,77.2%,and 70.9%,respectively. Conclusion sVFA measured by QCT is independently associated with the occurrence and severity of WMH in patients with T2DM.The combined indicators of VFA,VFA/SFA,and HbA1c demonstrate good diagnostic value for predicting the occurrence and severity of WMH in these patients.