title: Visceral fat thickness measured by ultrasonography can estimate not only visceral obesity but also risks of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Visceral obesity is closely associated with cardiovascular disease and the metabolic syndrome. Estimating the amount of visceral fat is important and requires a straightforward, reliable, and practical method.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We investigated whether visceral fat thickness (VFT) measured by ultrasonography can adequately assess visceral fat accumulation and predict cardiovascular or metabolic diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Diabetic patients (240 men and 106 women) underwent ultrasonography to estimate visceral fat accumulation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The visceral adipose tissue area had the best correlation with VFT (r = 0.799, P < 0.001). VFT correlated with HDL-cholesterol, triacylglycerol, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein concentrations, the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance, and the intima-media thickness at the common carotid artery (r = -0.30, 0.39, 0.34, 0.31, and 0.33, respectively; P < 0.05) in men and with triacylglycerol and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein concentrations and the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (r = 0.33, 0.44, and 0.30, respectively; P < 0.05) in women. Men in the middle and high VFT tertiles had a higher odds ratio (OR) of coronary artery disease [ORs: 4.48 (95% CI: 1.29, 5.51) and 2.04 (1.06, 3.94), respectively; P = 0.016], hypertriacylglycerolemia [ORs: 2.87 (1.41, 5.86) and 1.91 (1.24, 2.95), respectively; P = 0.003], and the metabolic syndrome [ORs: 3.38 (1.61, 7.10) and 1.95 (1.16, 3.27), respectively; P = 0.003] than did those in the low tertile, after adjustment for age, waist circumference, and body mass index.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VFT might be a reliable index for assessing the amount of visceral fat and for identifying diabetic patients, particularly men, who are at high risk of cardiovascular disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Soo Kyung
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hae Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kyu Yeon
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Hur
authors.forename: Sung Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Chul Woo
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Sung Kil
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Kyung Rae
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyun Chul
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kap Bum
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Huh
authors.forename: Bong Soo
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Cha
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol