Measurement of visceral adipose tissue by DXA combined with anthropometry in obese humans

Abstract
To get accurate measurements of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). DXA and anthropometric data and their combinations were compared to the VAT area calculated from a computed tomography (CT) single scan. 71 overweight subjects (44 women, 27 men), age: 16-70 y, BMI: 27-52 kg/m2. Total body and segmental tissue composition, and new parameters obtained from DXA, in addition to waist and hip circumferences and abdominal sagittal diameter measurements. The ratio measured at the umbilical level (sagittal diameter - subcutaneous fat width) x (transverse internal diameter)/(height) was closely related to VAT (r=0.94 for women and 0.88 for men). It gave the most predictive equation for VAT: y = 79.6x (s.e. 3.9) - 149 cm2 for the whole population (r2=0.86, P<0.0001, root mean square error=38.2 cm2. An independent relationship between lean mass or its index (r=0.52 and 0.72, P<0.001) and VAT was also found in women. This study demonstrates the potential usefulness of DXA to supply accurate measurements of VAT in addition to total body composition determination in obese subjects.

This publication has 21 references indexed in Scilit: