Absolute value of bioelectrical impedance analysis-measured visceral fat area with obesity-related cardiovascular risk factors in Japanese workers.
OBJECTIVE
The accumulation of Visceral fat is known to precede metabolic disorders and atherosclerosis. This study aimed to determine the relationships between body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), estimated visceral fat area (eVFA) measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and obesity-related cardiovascular risk factors.


METHODS
The study population was 2,870 middle-aged Japanese employees (males/females=2,322/ 548), who had undergone a health check-up.


RESULTS
In the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the cutoff levels yielding maximal sensitivity plus specificity for predicting the prevalence of ≥ 2 risks were, 24.5 kg/m(2) for BMI, 84.6 cm for WC, and 111 cm(2) for eVFA in males, and 23.6 kg/m(2), 81.5 cm, and 67 cm(2) in females. The average number of risk factors was over 1.0 in those with a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m(2) and with a WC ≥ 85 cm for males, ≥ 28 kg/m(2) and ≥ 95 cm respectively for females, and those with an eVFA ≥ 100 cm(2) for both males and females. In males, it was around 1.0 with cutoff levels of BMI, WC, and eVFA from the ROC curve. However, in females, it was around 0.6, because the prevalence of subjects with obesity and multiple risks was very low.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggested that the cutoff level for visceral fat reduction should be set based on an absolute value of risk factors, rather than a calculated value. In regular health check-up, it may be useful to set an absolute cutoff value for eVFA at 100 cm(2) as criteria to screen for multiple obesity-related cardiovascular risk factors.
Okauchi
Yukiyoshi
Y
Department of Metabolic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
Kishida
Ken
K
Funahashi
Tohru
T
Noguchi
Midori
M
Ogawa
Tomoko
T
Ryo
Miwa
M
Okita
Kohei
K
Iwahashi
Hiromi
H
Imagawa
Akihisa
A
Nakamura
Tadashi
T
Matsuzawa
Yuji
Y
Shimomura
Iichiro
I
D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D017097:Electric Impedance; D005260:Female; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D012372:ROC Curve; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D055105:Waist Circumference