Association of lung function measurements and visceral fat in men with metabolic syndrome.
BACKGROUND
Several studies have reported a positive relationship between lung function impairment and the metabolic syndrome. This is most usually explained by abdominal adiposity. We hypothesized that the main determinant of the association between lung function impairment and abdominal obesity is the presence of visceral fat.


METHODS
The present study is a cross-sectional analysis of 98 non-diabetic men aged between 50 and 70 years with the metabolic syndrome. The amount of visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue was determined by an MRI scan. The association between visceral fat and measures of lung function (FEV1, FVC, exhaled and NO) was assessed using linear regression.


RESULTS
98 participants were included in this analysis. There was a linear inverse association between visceral fat and both FEV1 and FVC. None of the other different fat-related measurements (subcutaneous fat, waist circumference and BMI) or features of the metabolic syndrome were found to be associated with these lung function measurements.


CONCLUSIONS
In non-diabetic subjects with the metabolic syndrome and a lung function that is within the normal range, visceral fat is negatively correlated with FEV1 and FVC.
Department of Pulmonology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands. Electronic address: w.thijs@lumc.nl.
Willemien
W
Thijs
Department of General Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Reza
R
Alizadeh Dehnavi
Department of Pulmonology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Pieter S
PS
Hiemstra
Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Albert
A
de Roos
Department of Pulmonology, Spaarne Hospital, Hoofddorp, The Netherlands.
Christian F
CF
Melissant
Department of Pulmonology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Kirsten
K
Janssen
Department of General Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Jouke T
JT
Tamsma
Department of Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery, Krankenhaus Grosshansdorf, Grosshansdorf, Germany.
Klaus F
KF
Rabe
D000368:Aged; D001944:Breath Tests; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000473:pathology*; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000032:analysis; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D014797:Vital Capacity / Q000502:physiology; D055105:Waist Circumference / Q000502:physiology
D009569:Nitric Oxide; D002097:C-Reactive Protein
Lung function; Metabolic syndrome; Obesity; Visceral fat