title: Association between erosive esophagitis and visceral fat accumulation quantified by abdominal CT scan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There were no objective data presented about the association between erosive esophagitis and abdominal fat. We conducted this study to examine the association of abdominal fat and gastroesophageal reflux disease-related erosive esophagitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between May 2004 and October 2005, a total of 100 erosive esophagitis patients diagnosed by upper endoscopy were evaluated in a prospective manner. All study patients and controls underwent abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan. Body fat distribution was assessed by CT with a 10-mm-thick slice at the level of the fourth lumbar vertebra.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Erosive esophagitis patients presented with a significantly higher mean visceral fat (VF) area (104.68+/-39.47 vs. 75.90+/-49.10 cm2, P=0.014) than the control group. However, there was no association between erosive esophagitis and subcutaneous fat area (109.72+/-49.09 vs. 98.66+/-52.43 cm2, P=0.379) or total fat area (214.41+/-78.78 vs. 172.59+/-90.49 cm2, P=0.054). Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that high VF areas (P=0.0035), VF/subcutaneous fat area (P=0.005), hiatal hernia (P=0.001), high body mass index (P=0.047), high waist-to-hip ratio (P=0.042), and smoking (P=0.005) are independent risk factors of erosive esophagitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest a role for visceral obesity, quantified by CT, as a risk factor for erosive esophagitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. alwayshang@hanyang.ac.kr
authors.forename: Hang Lak
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chang Soo
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Eun
authors.forename: Oh Young
authors.initials: OY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yong Cheol
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.forename: Dong Soo
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Byung Chul
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Ho Soon
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Joon Soo
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Hahm
authors.forename: You Hern
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Soon Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D001823:Body Composition; D050218:Body Fat Distribution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004942:Esophagitis, Peptic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006551:Hernia, Hiatal / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio