title: Association of the body adiposity index (BAI) with metabolic risk factors in young and older overweight and obese women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Body adiposity index (BAI) is a novel index for the assessment of percentage fat mass (FM%). We tested the association between BAI and metabolic outcomes in overweight and obese women of different ages.
  
  
  METHODS
  260 young women (24.7 ± 5.3 years, 31.0 ± 5.0 kg/m(2)) and 328 older women (66.9 ± 4.6 years, 34.8 ± 4.7 kg/m(2)) were recruited. BAI was calculated using hip circumference and height. Bioimpedance analysis was used to measure FM%. Metabolic risk was assessed using a composite z score integrating standardised measurements of fasting glucose, total cholesterol, liver enzymes and triglycerides.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The association between BAI and FM% was modest in both young (r = 0.56, p < 0.001) and older (r = 0.49, p < 0.001) groups. BAI was directly associated with metabolic risk in young women (r = 0.29, p < 0.001), whereas it showed a weak, inverse association in the older group (r = -0.14, p = 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BAI validity needs to be re-assessed in older individuals for better definition of its predictive accuracy.
authors.affiliation: Human Nutrition Research Centre, Institute for Ageing and Health, Newcastle University, Campus of Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle, NE4 5PL, UK, mario.siervo@ncl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siervo
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Prado
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Stephan
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lara
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Muscariello
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nasti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colantuoni
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult