Premium
Dual‐energy X‐ray Absorptiometry and Anthropometric Estimates of Visceral Fat in Black and White South African Women
Author(s) -
Micklesfield Lisa K.,
Evans Juliet,
Norris Shane A.,
Lambert Estelle V.,
Jennings Courtney,
Joffe Yael,
Levitt Naomi S.,
Goedecke Julia H.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
obesity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.438
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1930-739X
pISSN - 1930-7381
DOI - 10.1038/oby.2009.292
Subject(s) - waist , medicine , anthropometry , nuclear medicine , dual energy x ray absorptiometry , region of interest , abdominal fat , dual energy , adipose tissue , circumference , body mass index , gynecology , obesity , radiology , bone mineral , mathematics , osteoporosis , geometry
Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease, and therefore, accurate methods to estimate VAT have been investigated. Computerized tomography (CT) is the gold standard measure of VAT, but its use is limited. We therefore compared waist measures and two dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) methods (Ley and Lunar) that quantify abdominal regions of interest (ROIs) to CT‐derived VAT in 166 black and 143 white South African women. Anthropometry, DXA ROI, and VAT (CT at L4–L5) were measured. Black women were younger ( P < 0.001), shorter ( P < 0.001), and had higher body fat ( P < 0.05) than white women. There were no ethnic differences in waist (89.7 ± 18.2 cm vs. 90.1 ± 15.6 cm), waist:height ratio (WHtR, 0.56 ± 0.12 vs. 0.54 ± 0.09), or DXA ROI (Ley: 2.2 ± 1.5 vs. 2.1 ± 1.4; Lunar: 2.3 ± 1.4 vs. 2.3 ± 1.5), but black women had less VAT, after adjusting for age, height, weight, and fat mass (76 ± 34 cm 2 vs. 98 ± 35 cm 2 ; P < 0.001). Ley ROI and Lunar ROI were correlated in black ( r = 0.983) and white ( r = 0.988) women. VAT correlated with DXA ROI (Ley: r = 0.729 and r = 0.838, P < 0.01; Lunar: r = 0.739 and r = 0.847, P < 0.01) in black and white women, but with increasing ROI android fatness, black women had less VAT. Similarly, VAT was associated with waist ( r = 0.732 and r = 0.836, P < 0.01) and WHtR ( r = 0.721 and r = 0.824, P < 0.01) in black and white women. In conclusion, although DXA‐derived ROIs correlate well with VAT as measured by CT, they are no better than waist or WHtR. Neither DXA nor anthropometric measures are able to accurately distinguish between high and low levels of VAT between population groups.