Christen T, et al. - Via conducting this cross-sectional analysis of the Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity study, researchers determined the role of inflammation in mediating links between overall and visceral body fat and subclinical atherosclerosis. For this purpose, total body fat and carotid artery intima media thickness were estimated by bio-impedance analysis and by ultrasound, respectively. Also, fasting blood samples (n=5,627) were analyzed to measure C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and glycoprotein acetyls (GlycA) levels. Using magnetic resonance imaging (n=2,247), visceral adipose tissue was estimated. According to the findings, inflammation (as measured by CRP and GlycA) did not mediate the links between measures of overall and visceral body fat and subclinical atherosclerosis. Through other markers of systemic inflammation, however, a cardiovascular risk may be conferred by obesity.