Journal List > J Korean Soc Radiol > v.77(1) > 1087826

Park, Park, Park, and Kim: Relationship between Abdominal Fat Area Measured by Screening Abdominal Fat CT and Metabolic Syndrome in Asymptomatic Korean Individuals

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between ab-dominal fat as assessed by abdominal fat CT and metabolic syndrome (MS), espe-cially in asymptomatic Korean individuals.

Materials and Methods

Retrospectively, a medical record analysis was performed in a total of 111 patients with screening abdominal fat CT. The data such as visceral fat (VF), subcutaneous fat (SF) and VF/SF were elicited by abdominal fat CT, and we ana-lyzed the relationship of VF, SF, and VF/SF with MS and cardiovascular risk factors.

Results

In males, VF and SF had a positive correlation with many cardiovascular risk factors and MS, but VF was superior to SF. In females, VF, but not SF, had a positive correlation with some cardiovascular risk factors and MS. The cut-off values of VF and SF to predict MS, which were calculated by drawing receiver operating char-acteristic curves, were as follows: the cut-off value of VF in men: 136.50 cm2, the cut-off value of SF in men: 159.50 cm2, and the cut-off value of VF in women: 134.50 cm2.

Conclusion

In conclusion, VF accumulation was the best predictor of MS and it had a positive correlation with cardiovascular risk factors in both sexes. SF also had a sig-nificant association with MS, especially in men, although it was not superior to VF.

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Fig. 1.
Measurement of visceral and subcutaneous fat using a 64-slice multidetector CT with AW version 4.5. A. Class areas are calculated based on the (D) attenuating region as -50 to -250 Hounsfield unit using the histogram method. The calculated area is 122.32 cm2 and this is the value of visceral fat. B-D. Three areas are obtained by drawing lines along the abdominal skin (B), the outer line of the abdominal muscles (C) and the inner line of the abdominal muscles and psoas muscles (D).
jksr-77-1f1.tif
Fig. 2.
ROC curves of VF (A) and SF (B) for predicting metabolic syndromes in men. A. The AUC of VF was 0.762 and the result was statistically significant (p < 0.001). B. The AUC of SF was 0.681 and the result was statistically significant (p < 0.01). AUC = area under the curve, ROC = receiver operating characteristic, SF = subcutaneous fat, VF = visceral fat
jksr-77-1f2.tif
Fig. 3.
A ROC curve of VF for predicting metabolic syndrome in wom-en. The AUC of VF was 0.909, and the result was statistically significant (p < 0.05). AUC = area under the curve, ROC = receiver operating characteristic, VF = visceral fat
jksr-77-1f3.tif
Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics
Variable Male Female
Total 096 (100.0) 015 (100.0)
Age 046.20 ± 11.45 048.20 ± 14.78
MS
Yes 029 (30.2) 004 (26.7)
No 067 (69.8) 011 (73.3)
VF (cm2) 150.28 ± 69.00 119.93 ± 84.59
SF (cm2) 175.78 ± 60.09 197.47 ± 104.73
VF/SF 000.92 ± 0.45 000.63 ± 0.40
Waist circumference (cm) 086.21 ± 7.58 078.40 ± 14.76
BMI (kg/m2) 025.63 ± 2.99 024.53 ± 4.93
SBP (mm Hg) 126.53 ± 12.62 121.20 ± 16.27
DBP (mm Hg) 077.85 ± 9.19 071.93 ± 10.97
Fasting glucose (mg/dL) 098.73 ± 15.74 089.80 ± 8.65
Total cholesterol 195.52 ± 33.68 176.53 ± 40.20
Triglycerides (mg/dL) 154.67 ± 99.39 107.00 ± 65.88
HDL cholesterol (mg/dL) 049.54 ± 11.86 056.20 ± 17.59
LDL cholesterol (mg/dL) 120.09 ± 29.81 101.20 ± 34.10

Values are n (%) or mean ± standard deviation.

BMI = body mass index, DBP = diastolic blood pressure, HDL = high-density lipoprotein, LDL = low-density lipoprotein, MS = metabolic syndrome, SBP = systolic blood pressure, SF = subcutaneous fat, VF = visceral fat

Table 2.
Pearson Correlation Coefficients between Indicators of Fat Measured by Abdominal Fat CT and MS, Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Men
Cardiovascular
Risk Factors
VF SF VF/SF
r p r p r p
Waist circumference 0.57 < 0.001 0.76 < 0.001 -0.04 0.702
BMI 0.49 < 0.001 0.68 < 0.001 -0.03 0.800
SBP 0.41 < 0.001 0.31 0.002 0.15 0.158
DBP 0.43 < 0.001 0.22 0.028 0.22 0.031
Fasting glucose 0.29 0.004 -0.11 0.277 0.34 < 0.001
Total cholesterol -0.03 0.735 0.16 0.110 -0.12 0.231
Triglycerides 0.24 0.019 0.00 0.994 0.22 0.031
HDL cholesterol -0.31 0.002 -0.13 0.195 -0.19 0.058
LDL cholesterol 0.00 0.987 0.23 0.027 -0.12 0.234

BMI = body mass index, DBP = diastolic blood pressure, HDL = high-density lipoprotein, LDL = low-density lipoprotein, MS = metabolic syndrome, SBP = systolic blood pressure, SF = subcutaneous fat, VF = visceral fat

Table 3.
Pearson Correlation Coefficients between Indicators of Fat Measured by Abdominal Fat CT and MS, Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Women
Cardiovascular
Risk Factors
VF SF VF/SF
r p r p r p
Waist circumference 0.85 < 0.001 0.87 < 0.001 0.28 0.304
BMI 0.75 < 0.001 0.92 < 0.001 0.15 0.593
SBP 0.55 0.032 0.48 0.068 0.21 0.454
DBP 0.33 0.225 0.15 0.602 0.27 0.326
Fasting glucose 0.55 0.034 0.39 0.152 0.30 0.280
Total cholesterol -0.20 0.475 -0.35 0.196 0.01 0.971
Triglycerides 0.47 0.080 0.21 0.456 0.36 0.185
HDL cholesterol -0.84 < 0.001 -0.67 0.006 -0.46 0.086
LDL cholesterol -0.08 0.783 -0.07 0.813 0.11 0.687

BMI = body mass index, DBP = diastolic blood pressure, HDL = high-density lipoprotein, LDL = low-density lipoprotein, MS = metabolic syndrome, SBP = systolic blood pressure, SF = subcutaneous fat, VF = visceral fat

Table 4.
Relationships between Indicators of Fat and MS
Sex Variable MS p-Value
Yes No
Mean ± Standard Deviation Mean ± Standard Deviation
Male VF (cm2) 195.38 ± 83.36 130.76 ± 51.22 < 0.001
SF (cm2) 201.28 ± 63.92 164.75 ± 55.27 < 0.001
VF/SF 001.03 ± 0.44 000.88 ± 0.45 0.919
Waist circumference (cm) 092.14 ± 8.29 083.64 ± 5.61 < 0.001
BMI (kg/m2) 028.08 ± 3.05 024.56 ± 2.27 < 0.001
Female VF (cm2) 217.00 ± 88.46 084.64 ± 50.30 0.048
SF (cm2) 275.50 ± 143.24 169.09 ± 76.68 0.350
VF/SF 000.88 ± 0.50 000.54 ± 0.34 0.573
Waist circumference (cm) 094.00 ± 16.02 072.73 ± 9.77 0.116
BMI (kg/m2) 029.25 ± 4.93 022.81 ± 3.82 0.189

BMI = body mass index, MS = metabolic syndrome, SF = subcutaneous fat, VF = visceral fat

Table 5.
Calculated Cut-Off Value of Indicators of Fat Measured by Abdominal Fat CT and AUC
Sex Variable Cut-Off Value AUC p-Value
Male VF (cm2) 136.50 0.762 < 0.001
SF (cm2) 159.50 0.681 0.005
VF/SF 0.601 0.116
Female VF (cm2) 134.50 0.909 0.019
SF (cm2) 0.773 0.117
VF/SF 0.750 0.151

AUC = area under the curve, SF = subcutaneous fat, VF = visceral fat

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