title: Adiposity assessed by anthropometric measures has a similar or greater predictive ability than dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measures for abdominal aortic calcification in community-dwelling older adults.
abstract: To determine whether adiposity assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) compared to simple anthropometric assessments, are more predictive of abdominal aortic calcification (AAC), a risk factor for atherosclerosis. A cross-sectional study of 312 participants (60.3 % female) aged 70.6 ± 5.6 years was conducted in 2010-2011. AAC was assessed by radiography. Adiposity was estimated for whole body, trunk, android, gynoid and visceral regions using DXA in addition to body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist to hip ratio (WHR). WHR [tertile 1 as reference, OR (95 % CI) for tertile 3: 3.62 (1.35-9.72)] and android to gynoid fat ratio [tertile 3: 2.87 (1.03-8.01)] were independent predictors of AAC severity among men. Positive associations with AAC severity were observed for WC [tertile 1 as reference, OR for tertile 3: 2.46 (1.12-5.41)], % trunk fat mass [tertile 2: 3.26 (1.52-7.03)], % android fat mass [tertile 2: 2.42 (1.13-5.18), tertile 3: 2.20 (1.02-4.73)] and visceral fat area [tertile 2: 2.28 (1.06-4.87), tertile 3: 2.32 (1.01-5.34)] among women. Indices of total body composition, BMI and % body fat mass were not associated with AAC severity in either men or women. Simple anthropometric measures, WHR and WC were the best predictors of AAC severity in men and women respectively, although higher android to gynoid fat ratio and central fat, assessed by DXA, were also predictive of higher risks of AAC severity in men and women respectively. Our findings add to existing evidence that relatively inexpensive and easily obtained anthropometric measures can be clinically useful indicators of atherosclerosis risk.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Medical School-Western Campus, Level 3, 176 Furlong Road, St Albans, Melbourne, VIC, 3021, Australia. xshang@student.unimelb.edu.au.|Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science, Melbourne, Australia. xshang@student.unimelb.edu.au.
authors.forename: Xianwen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shang
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Medical School-Western Campus, Level 3, 176 Furlong Road, St Albans, Melbourne, VIC, 3021, Australia.|Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science, Melbourne, Australia.|The Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.affiliation: Cancer Epidemiology Centre, The Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hodge
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Medical School-Western Campus, Level 3, 176 Furlong Road, St Albans, Melbourne, VIC, 3021, Australia.|Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science, Melbourne, Australia.|Department of Medicine, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Patparganj, Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Belal
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Diwan Chand Satyapal Aggarwaal Diagnostic Imaging Research Centre, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Nayab
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Cancer Epidemiology Centre, The Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Dallas R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: English
authors.affiliation: Cancer Epidemiology Centre, The Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Graham G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Giles
authors.affiliation: Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science, Melbourne, Australia.|The Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Ebeling
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Medical School-Western Campus, Level 3, 176 Furlong Road, St Albans, Melbourne, VIC, 3021, Australia.|Institute for Health and Ageing, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Kerrie M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Sanders
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D050154:Adiposity; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001027:Aortography; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D061205:Vascular Calcification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D055105:Waist Circumference; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio
keywords: Abdominal aortic calcification; Body anthropometrics; Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry; Radiography