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Visceral adipose tissue: relations between single-slice areas and total volume
Wei Shen1, Mark Punyanitya, ZiMian Wang
1Obesity Research Center, St Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital, and the Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, 1090 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10025, USA. ws2003@columbia.edu
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|July 28, 2004
Summary
Accurate visceral adipose tissue (VAT) volume estimation is crucial for understanding obesity's metabolic effects. Measuring VAT area 10 cm above L4-L5 in men and 5 cm above L4-L5 in women offers a more powerful and efficient approach than traditional methods.
Area of Science:
- Medical Imaging
- Obesity Research
- Adipose Tissue Biology
Background:
- Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is linked to metabolic disease.
- Current VAT assessment typically uses the L4-L5 vertebral interspace.
- Optimal slice location for VAT volume estimation remains undetermined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between cross-sectional VAT areas at various anatomical locations and total VAT volume.
- To identify the single best anatomical slice for estimating VAT volume in a diverse cohort.
- To enhance the efficiency of VAT volume assessment in research and clinical settings.
Main Methods:
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to obtain VAT volume data from 121 healthy men and 198 healthy women.
- VAT volume was calculated from slice areas at 5-cm intervals.
- Regression models were employed to determine the correlation between slice areas and total VAT volume.
Main Results:
- The VAT area 10 cm superior to L4-L5 (A(+10)) in men (R(2) = 0.932) and 5 cm superior to L4-L5 (A(+5)) in women (R(2) = 0.945) showed the strongest correlation with total VAT volume.
- These correlations remained significant after adjusting for age, race, BMI, and waist circumference.
- Using A(+10) in men and A(+5) in women requires 14% and 9% fewer subjects, respectively, for equivalent statistical power compared to L4-L5 measurements.
Conclusions:
- Measuring VAT area at A(+10) in men and A(+5) in women provides a more powerful method for detecting VAT volume differences.
- These optimized measurement points enhance the efficiency of studies assessing visceral adiposity.
- This approach offers a more precise and resource-effective alternative to traditional VAT assessment at L4-L5.