Simple anthropometric measurements - relation to body fat mass, visceral adipose tissue and risk factors of atherogenesis

Abstract

Abdominal type of obesity is linked to risk factors of atherosclerosis and to metabolic diseases. 216 women, aged 17 to 67 years, mean age 43.1 +/- 0.76, mean weight 108.7 +/- 1.6 kg and mean BMI 39.57 kg/m2, were examined. Body composition was assessed by hydrodensitometry, fat distribution was determined by simple anthropometric measurements (waist circumference, sagittal abdominal diameter at the level L4,5, waist to hip ratio-WHR and waist to thigh ratio-WTR), by computed tomography estimating of visceral fat area and by the ultrasound assessment of visceral fat.

Close correlation of visceral fat area determined by CT with the ultrasound assessment of visceral fat was found (r = 0.71). In contrast to WHR, a strong correlation of the waist circumference and sagittal abdominal diameter to total body fat content (r = 0.89, r = 0.84, respectively).

Close relation of the waist circumference, sagittal abdominal diameter and WTR to visceral fat examined by ultrasound was discovered (r = 0.61, r = 0.66 and r = 0.58, respectively). The sample was divided into quintiles according to waist circumference, abdominal sagittal diameter and WHR.

After adjustment for weight and age, waist circumference and sagittal abdominal diameter tend to be more closely related to the metabolic variables (total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, uric acid) and to the arterial blood pressure than WHR. In the group followed only weak relation was found between anthropometric measures of fat distribution and occurrence of diseases complicating obesity, probably as a result of a high overall fatness connected with a high content of visceral fat.