Abdominal fat index by ultrasound does not estimate the metabolic risk factors of cardiovascular disease better than waist circumference in severe obesity.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate by ultrasound the ratio between preperitoneal (P) and subcutaneous (S) fat (AFI), in quantifying the cardiovascular risk in 258 obese patients (BMI 41.2+/-6.3 kg/m2; age 45.1 +/- 13.6 years).


METHODS
Glucose, insulin, lipid profile, uric acid and fibrinogen were measured. HOMA-IR, waist girth, AFI and quartiles of BMI were calculated.


RESULTS
AFI lowered with increasing BMI and showed a positive correlation with TGL (r=0.37, P<0.01) and uric acid (r=0.40, P<0.001) in the 1st quartile of BMI (30.2-36.4) and a negative correlation with HDL (r=- 0.32, P<0.001) in the 3rd quartile (40.6-45.1). When BMI exceeded the value of 45.2 kg/m2 these correlations were no longer significant. In all subjects S correlated positively with uric acid (r=0.64, P<0.001), and negatively with HOMA-IR (r=- 0.41, P<0.001) and TGL (r=- 0.35, P=0.02); P correlated positively with CHOL (r=0.48, P=0.04) and TGL (r=0.33, P=0.03), and negatively with HDL (r=- 0.46, P=0.03). Waist girth showed more significant correlations than AFI in the lower quartiles of BMI, but not at the highest one.


CONCLUSIONS
AFI, P and S, as waist girth do not seem to quantify the metabolic risk factors of cardiovascular disease in severe obese subjects, but AFI is probably useful in obese populations with BMI<45 kg/m2, even though not as strong as waist girth.
Minocci
A
A
Unit of Internal Medicine, Scientific Institute S.Giuseppe, Auxologic Italian Institute, Italy. alessandrominocci@hotmail.com
Guzzaloni
G
G
Marzullo
P
P
Savia
G
G
Tagliaferri
M
M
Berselli
M E
ME
Liuzzi
A
A
D000005:Abdomen; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D049628:Body Size; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D008074:Lipoproteins; D002784:Cholesterol