Abdominal visceral adipose tissue volume is associated with increased risk of erosive esophagitis in men and women.
OBJECTIVE
Data on the association between erosive esophagitis and obesity are inconsistent because of variations in study populations and methods used to determine obesity.


METHODS
Participants in a prospective health-screening cohort underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy and computed tomography. The association between erosive esophagitis and obesity (measured by body mass index [BMI], waist circumference, and abdominal visceral adipose tissue volume) was estimated with odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for confounding factors. We also analyzed the association between obesity and erosive esophagitis by sex.


RESULTS
The prevalence of erosive esophagitis was 9.3% (495/5329). The OR for erosive esophagitis correlated with obesity measured by BMI, waist circumference, and abdominal visceral adipose tissue volume (P < .001 for each factor). The multivariate OR for erosive esophagitis was 1.97 (95% CI: 1.34-2.90) for a visceral adipose tissue volume of 500-999 cm(3), 2.27 (95% CI: 1.51-3.39) for 1000-1499 cm(3), and 2.94 (95% CI: 1.87-4.62) for ≥1500 cm(3), compared with participants who had visceral adipose tissue volumes less than 500 cm(3). When measures of obesity were analyzed simultaneously, abdominal visceral adipose tissue volume, but not BMI or waist circumference, was associated with erosive esophagitis. The 3 measures of obesity were significantly associated with erosive esophagitis in males, but only visceral adipose tissue volume was associated with erosive esophagitis in females (P = .002).


CONCLUSIONS
In contrast to BMI or waist circumference, abdominal visceral adipose tissue volume is associated with an increased risk of erosive esophagitis in males and females.
Nam
Su Youn
SY
Center for Cancer Prevention and Detection, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
Choi
Il Ju
IJ
Ryu
Kum Hei
KH
Park
Bum Joon
BJ
Kim
Hyun Bum
HB
Nam
Byung-Ho
BH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004941:Esophagitis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D015588:Observer Variation; D015995:Prevalence; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055105:Waist Circumference