Visceral abdominal fat accumulation predicts the progression of noncalcified coronary plaque

► Excess visceral abdominal tissue (VAT) is more strongly associated with risk factors of coronary artery disease (CAD) than other measures of obesity. ► This prospective cohort study comprised 553 CAD patients with coronary plaque with ≤50% coronary stenosis on CT angiography. ► VAT accumulation was more strongly associated with progression of coronary noncalcified plaque than BMI or waist circumference. ► These results suggest combining VAT measurements and CAD risk factors may provide better risk assessments of noncalcified plaque progression.