title: Visceral adipose tissue in women: longitudinal study of the effects of fat gain, time, and race.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effects of fat gain, time, and race on the accumulation of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in a group of normal-weight premenopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-five women participated in the study (32 African American and 33 white). The mean age of subjects was 34 +/- 6 years (range, 22 to 47 years). Eligible subjects were women who had body mass indices <25 kg/m(2) at baseline and who had completed evaluations at baseline and at follow-up year 1, without intervention. A subset of subjects was reevaluated annually for up to 4 years. Body composition was assessed by DXA, and VAT was determined from a single computed tomography scan. A linear mixed model was used to examine changes in VAT over time, with total body fat as a covariate
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total fat mass was not significantly different between races at baseline and increased significantly in both groups over time (p < 0.001). Time-related increases in total body fat were greater in African-American women (p < 0.01). VAT was significantly higher in white women at baseline (p < 0.01) and increased significantly over time in both races (p < 0.01), but remained higher in white women (p < 0.001). Increases in VAT, relative to total body fat, were greater than the increases in total body fat over time, independent of age and race (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gaining total body-fat mass results in a higher increase in VAT, relative to total body fat, regardless of race and age, although African-American women maintain a lower VAT levels across time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition Sciences, Clinical Nutrition Research Unit, Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1675 Webb Nutrition Sciences Building, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA. larac@uab.edu
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lara-Castro
authors.forename: Roland L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Weinsier
authors.forename: Gary R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.forename: Renée
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Desmond
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging; D044383:Black People; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D044469:Racial Groups; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014781:Viscera; D044465:White People; D001741:Black or African American