Association between erosive esophagitis and visceral fat accumulation quantified by abdominal CT scan.
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.
Lee
Hang Lak
HL
Department of Internal Medicine, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. alwayshang@hanyang.ac.kr
Eun
Chang Soo
CS
Lee
Oh Young
OY
Jeon
Yong Cheol
YC
Han
Dong Soo
DS
Yoon
Byung Chul
BC
Choi
Ho Soon
HS
Hahm
Joon Soo
JS
Ahn
You Hern
YH
Song
Soon Young
SY
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