title: Relationships between emerging cardiovascular risk factors, z-BMI, waist circumference and body adiposity index (BAI) on adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The body adiposity index (BAI) has been recently proposed as an alternative index to body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) to evaluate adiposity in adults, with special focus on its ability to discriminate gender specificities on adiposity. Endothelial dysfunction, circulating endothelial cells (CECs), endothelin-1 and adipocytokines are all related to atherosclerosis and nowadays considered as markers of emerging cardiovascular (CV) risk. This study aimed to determine in normal weight and obese adolescents which measures of body composition (BAI and z-BMI) or distribution (WC) correlate better with emerging CV risk markers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty adolescents were selected according to BMI: normal weight (n = 20; 7 girls/13 boys, 14·7 ± 1·4 years, 53·4 ± 6·0 kg, z-BMI 0·6 ± 0·1) and obese ones (n = 20; 13 girls/7 boys, 14·1± 1·0 years, 86·7 ± 11·5 kg, z-BMI 2·7 ± 0·4).
  
  
  METHODS
  Body fat and fat mass were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Non-nutritive skin microvascular reactivity was evaluated by laser Doppler flowmetry with iontophoretic release of vasoactive drugs. Activated CECs were assessed by flow cytometric analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In adolescents, the measurement of % fat by DXA showed high correlation with BAI (ρ = 0·75, P < 0·0001), z-BMI (r = 0·84, P < 0·0001) and WC (r = 0·83, P < 0·0001). Endothelin-1 and activated CECs did not correlate with any anthropometric measures while adipocytokines expressed variable associations among them. Endothelium-dependent vasodilation showed higher correlation with BAI (r = -0·51, P < 0·0001) compared to z-BMI (r = -0·40, P < 0·001) or WC (r = -0·45, P < 0·001), specially on females.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BAI was associated with emerging CV risk markers in adolescents but further research is needed to evaluate its potential in clinical and epidemiological sets.
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Experimental Research Laboratory on Vascular Biology (BioVasc), Biomedical Center, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ingrid B F
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.forename: Diogo G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Panazzolo
authors.forename: Marcela F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: Bruno D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Paredes
authors.forename: Maria G C
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Diogo P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Manhanini
authors.forename: Verônica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Morandi
authors.forename: Paulo T V
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Farinatti
authors.forename: Eliete
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bouskela
authors.forename: Luiz G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Kraemer-Aguiar
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D050154:Adiposity / Q000502:physiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D055105:Waist Circumference / Q000502:physiology*