Intra-abdominal obesity and metabolic risk factors: a study of young adults.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the relative importance of the extent and regional distribution of fat for metabolic risk factors in young adults.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study of findings from a hospital-based case-control study.


METHODS
A total of 46 adult Danish Caucasian patients (40 men and six women, aged 34-54 y). Of these, 22 had had non fatal acute myocardial infarction before 41 y of age and 24 were age- and gender-matched controls without coronary heart disease.


METHODS
Four measurements of fat: body mass index (BMI, kg/m(2)), body fat percentage measured using a dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scanner, waist/hip circumference ratio (WHR), and intra-abdominal adipose tissue area measured using computed tomography (CT) scanning, and eight metabolic risk factors: systolic and diastolic blood pressure, HbA(1c) percentage, fasting concentrations of capillary whole blood glucose, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, serum triglyceride, plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), and urinary albumin:creatinine excretion ratio.


RESULTS
Of 46 participants, 10 were obese (BMI >30 kg/m(2)), 12 were abdominally obese (WHR >0.90 for men and >0.85 for women), and 20 were intra-abdominally obese (intra-abdominal adipose tissue area >135 cm(2)). Men had a higher intra-abdominal adipose tissue area than women (P=0.0053, Mann-Whitney U-test). In multiple regression analyses of the four fat variables, only intra-abdominal adipose tissue area significantly predicted the levels of six metabolic risk factors: systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting concentrations of capillary whole blood glucose, serum HDL cholesterol, serum triglyceride, and PAI-1. The intra-abdominal adipose tissue area had a linear relation with the six metabolic risk factors.


CONCLUSIONS
For young individuals, intra-abdominal fat is the important component of the body fat for six of the eight metabolic risk factors. Intra-abdominal fat might contribute to that most patients with acute myocardial infarction at a young age are men.
von Eyben
F E
FE
Department of Internal Medicine, Herning Central Hospital, Denmark. feve@post5.tele.dk
Mouritsen
E
E
Holm
J
J
Montvilas
P
P
Dimcevski
G
G
Suciu
G
G
Helleberg
I
I
Kristensen
L
L
von Eyben
R
R
D000005:Abdomen; D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000209:etiology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism
D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1; D014280:Triglycerides