Femoral-gluteal subcutaneous and intermuscular adipose tissues have independent and opposing relationships with CVD risk.
Femoral-gluteal adipose tissue (AT) may be cardioprotective through fatty acids uptake. Femoral-gluteal AT has previously been defined as leg fat measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA); however, subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) are inseparable using DXA. This study investigated the independent relationships between femoral-gluteal SAT, femoral-gluteal IMAT, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors [fasting serum measures of glucose, total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), triglycerides (TG) and insulin] and whether race differences exist in femoral-gluteal AT distribution. Adult Caucasians (56 men and 104 women), African-Americans (37 men and 76 women), and Asians (11 men and 35 women) had total AT (TAT) including femoral-gluteal AT (upper leg SAT and IMAT) and visceral AT (VAT) by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). General linear models identified the independent effects of femoral-gluteal SAT and femoral-gluteal IMAT on each risk factor after covarying for TAT, VAT, age, race, sex, and two-way interactions. Femoral-gluteal IMAT and glucose (P < 0.05) were positively associated independent of VAT. There were also significant inverse associations between femoral-gluteal SAT and insulin (P < 0.01) and TG (P < 0.05), although the addition of VAT rendered these effects nonsignificant, possibly due to collinearity. Asian women had less femoral-gluteal SAT and greater VAT than Caucasians and African-Americans (P < 0.05) and Asian and African-American men had greater femoral-gluteal IMAT than Caucasians, adjusted for age and TAT (P < 0.05 for both). Femoral-gluteal SAT and femoral-gluteal IMAT distribution varies by sex and race, and these two components have independent and opposing relationships with CVD risk factors.
Yim
Jung-Eun
JE
Department of Medicine, Obesity Research Center, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital, 1090 Amsterdam Ave., New York, NY 10025, USA.
Heshka
Stanley
S
Albu
Jeanine B
JB
Heymsfield
Steven
S
Gallagher
Dympna
D
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D050154:Adiposity; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002081:Buttocks; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012107:Research Design; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D050151:Subcutaneous Fat / Q000473:pathology*; D044465:White People
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D008055:Lipids