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A New Method for Body Fat Evaluation, Body Adiposity Index, Is Useful in Women With Familial Partial Lipodystrophy
Author(s) -
GodoyMatos Amélio F.,
Moreira Rodrigo O.,
Valerio Cynthia M.,
Mory Patricia B.,
Moises Regina S.
Publication year - 2012
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.2011.343
Subject(s) - leptin , medicine , body mass index , lipodystrophy , body adiposity index , endocrinology , fat mass , adipose tissue , body fat distribution , classification of obesity , body fat percentage , obesity , family medicine , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , viral load , antiretroviral therapy
BMI is a widely used method to evaluate adiposity. However, it has several limitations, particularly an inability to differentiate lean from fat mass. A new method, body adiposity index (BAI), has been recently proposed as a new measurement capable to determine fat excess better than BMI. The aim of this study was to investigate BAI as a mean to evaluate adiposity in a group of women with familial partial lipodystrophy (FPLD) and compare it with BMI. Thirteen women with FLPD Dunnigan type (FPLD2) and 13 healthy volunteers matched by age and BMI were studied. Body fat content and distribution were analyzed by dual X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA). Plasma leptin was also measured. BAI was significantly lower in FPLD2 in comparison to control group (24.6 ± 1.5 vs. 30.4 ± 4.3; P < 0.001) and presented a more significant correlation with total fat (%) ( r = 0.71; P < 0.001) and fat Mass (g) ( r = 0.80; P < 0.001) than BMI ( r = 0.27; P = 0.17 for total fat and r = 0.52; P = 0.006 for fat mass). There was a correlation between leptin and BAI ( r = −0.54; P = 0.004), but not between leptin and BMI. In conclusion, BAI was able to catch differences in adiposity in a sample of FPLD2 patients. It also correlated better with leptin levels than BMI. Therefore, we provide further evidence that BAI may become a more reliable indicator of fat mass content than the currently available measurements.