Quantification of visceral fat using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and its reliability according to the amount of visceral fat in Korean adults.
Recently, a fully automated method for segmenting abdominal fat into subcutaneous fat and visceral fat (VF) within the android region using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) has been newly developed. The purpose of this study was to validate a new DXA method by comparing it to the gold standard, computed tomography (CT), in the Korean population. Furthermore, we examined its reliability regarding VF and explored whether it is applicable to the Asian population, which has relatively larger amount of VF. We studied 123 adult men and women, aged 22-73 yr, representing a wide range of body mass index values (17.1-36.0 kg/m(2)), who underwent both DXA and CT in a fasting state within 1 h. The coefficient of determination (r(2)) for regression of the CT on DXA values was 0.892 for females, 0.838 for males, and 0.931 combined. Bland-Altman bias was -451.4 cm(3) with 95% limits of agreement of 149.8 to -1052.6 cm(3). The DXA-measured VF showed a better correlation with CT-measured VF volume than common indices for adiposity, including the body mass index and waist circumference. There was a lesser discrepancy ratio between DXA- and CT-measured VF with an increase of VF volume. DXA, a relatively convenient, inexpensive, and safe method with minimum radiation dosage, can be a reliable technique for VF assessment in the Asian population.
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, South Korea.
Yong Jun
YJ
Choi
Department of Radiology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, South Korea.
Young Kyun
YK
Seo
Department of Radiology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, South Korea.
Eun Ju
EJ
Lee
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, South Korea. Electronic address: yschung@ajou.ac.kr.
Yoon-Sok
YS
Chung
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D050177:Overweight / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D056910:Republic of Korea; D013851:Thinness / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult
Computed tomography; dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry; visceral fat