Estimation of CT-derived abdominal visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue depots from anthropometry in Europeans, South Asians and African Caribbeans.
BACKGROUND
South Asians and African Caribbeans experience more cardiometabolic disease than Europeans. Risk factors include visceral (VAT) and subcutaneous abdominal (SAT) adipose tissue, which vary with ethnicity and are difficult to quantify using anthropometry.


OBJECTIVE
We developed and cross-validated ethnicity and gender-specific equations using anthropometrics to predict VAT and SAT.


METHODS
669 Europeans, 514 South Asians and 227 African Caribbeans (70 ± 7 years) underwent anthropometric measurement and abdominal CT scanning. South Asian and African Caribbean participants were first-generation migrants living in London. Prediction equations were derived for CT-measured VAT and SAT using stepwise regression, then cross-validated by comparing actual and predicted means.


RESULTS
South Asians had more and African Caribbeans less VAT than Europeans. For basic VAT prediction equations (age and waist circumference), model fit was better in men (R(2) range 0.59-0.71) than women (range 0.35-0.59). Expanded equations (+ weight, height, hip and thigh circumference) improved fit for South Asian and African Caribbean women (R(2) 0.35 to 0.55, and 0.43 to 0.56 respectively). For basic SAT equations, R(2) was 0.69-0.77, and for expanded equations it was 0.72-0.86. Cross-validation showed differences between actual and estimated VAT of <7%, and SAT of <8% in all groups, apart from VAT in South Asian women which disagreed by 16%.


CONCLUSIONS
We provide ethnicity- and gender-specific VAT and SAT prediction equations, derived from a large tri-ethnic sample. Model fit was reasonable for SAT and VAT in men, while basic VAT models should be used cautiously in South Asian and African Caribbean women. These equations will aid studies of mechanisms of cardiometabolic disease in later life, where imaging data are not available.
National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Sophie V
SV
Eastwood
Therese
T
Tillin
Andrew
A
Wright
John
J
Heasman
Joseph
J
Willis
Ian F
IF
Godsland
Nita
N
Forouhi
Peter
P
Whincup
Alun D
AD
Hughes
Nishi
N
Chaturvedi
D050154:Adiposity; D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods; D044466:Asian People; D044383:Black People; D001823:Body Composition; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D050151:Subcutaneous Fat / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D044465:White People