Are specific visceral adipose tissue (VAT) cutoffs associated with elevated metabolic risk factors for coronary heart disease in women >45 years of age?
A visceral adipose tissue area ≥106 cm² is associated with elevated metabolic risk for coronary heart disease in women, with risk further increasing at ≥163 cm², providing potential cutoffs for defining visceral obesity.
OBJECTIVE: This study determined whether there is a critical level of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) associated with elevated coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors in a cohort of women >45 years of age. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Measurements of body composition (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), body fat distribution (computed tomography), fasting and 2-h postprandial (75-g) glucose concentrations, and fasting lipoprotein lipid and insulin concentrations were performed in 233 perimenopausal (9%) and postmenopausal women (age 59 +/- 6 years, 79% Caucasian, 16% on hormone replacement therapy). RESULTS: Women in the lowest VAT quintile ( or =163 cm(2) (P or =163 cm(2) are 5.5 times more likely to have a low HDL cholesterol (P or =163 cm(2) are at a higher risk of having impaired glucose tolerance (P or =106 cm(2) is associated with an elevated risk, and a VAT > or =163 cm(2) with an even greater risk, for these metabolic CHD risk factors compared with women with a VAT < or =105 cm(2). These values may prove useful for defining "visceral obesity" and for identifying women most likely to benefit from preventative interventions.
Nicklas et al. (2003) studied this question.