J Korean Soc Radiol.  2017 Jul;77(1):1-8. 10.3348/jksr.2017.77.1.1.

Relationship between Abdominal Fat Area Measured by Screening Abdominal Fat CT and Metabolic Syndrome in Asymptomatic Korean Individuals

• Park DW
• Park NH
• Park JY
• Kim SJ

• KMID: 2384728
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/jksr.2017.77.1.1

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between abdominal fat as assessed by abdominal fat CT and metabolic syndrome (MS), especially in asymptomatic Korean individuals.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Retrospectively, a medical record analysis was performed in a total of 111 patients with screening abdominal fat CT. The data such as visceral fat (VF), subcutaneous fat (SF) and VF/SF were elicited by abdominal fat CT, and we analyzed the relationship of VF, SF, and VF/SF with MS and cardiovascular risk factors.
RESULTS
In males, VF and SF had a positive correlation with many cardiovascular risk factors and MS, but VF was superior to SF. In females, VF, but not SF, had a positive correlation with some cardiovascular risk factors and MS. The cut-off values of VF and SF to predict MS, which were calculated by drawing receiver operating characteristic curves, were as follows: the cut-off value of VF in men: 136.50 cm², the cut-off value of SF in men: 159.50 cm², and the cut-off value of VF in women: 134.50 cm².
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, VF accumulation was the best predictor of MS and it had a positive correlation with cardiovascular risk factors in both sexes. SF also had a significant association with MS, especially in men, although it was not superior to VF.

MeSH Terms

Abdominal Fat*
Female
Humans
Intra-Abdominal Fat
Male
Mass Screening*
Medical Records
Multidetector Computed Tomography
Retrospective Studies
Risk Factors
ROC Curve
Subcutaneous Fat

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1. Measurement of visceral and subcutaneous fat using a 64-slice multidetector CT with AW version 4.5. A. Class areas are calculated based on the (D) attenuating region as -50 to -250 Hounsfield unit using the histogram method. The calculated area is 122.32 cm2 and this is the value of visceral fat. B-D. Three areas are obtained by drawing lines along the abdominal skin (B), the outer line of the abdominal muscles (C) and the inner line of the abdominal muscles and psoas muscles (D).

• 

  Fig. 2. ROC curves of VF (A) and SF (B) for predicting metabolic syndromes in men. A. The AUC of VF was 0.762 and the result was statistically significant (p < 0.001). B. The AUC of SF was 0.681 and the result was statistically significant (p < 0.01). AUC = area under the curve, ROC = receiver operating characteristic, SF = subcutaneous fat, VF = visceral fat

• 

  Fig. 3. A ROC curve of VF for predicting metabolic syndrome in wom-en. The AUC of VF was 0.909, and the result was statistically significant (p < 0.05). AUC = area under the curve, ROC = receiver operating characteristic, VF = visceral fat

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