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Published on: January 29, 2018
Alterations of body mass index and body composition in atomic bomb survivors
Y Tatsukawa1, M Misumi, M Yamada
1Department of Clinical Studies, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan. tktatsu@rerf.or.jp
Objective:
Obesity, underweight, sarcopenia and excess accumulation of abdominal fat are associated with a risk of death and adverse health outcomes. Our aim was to determine whether body mass index (BMI) and body composition, assessed with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), are associated with radiation exposure among atomic bomb (A-bomb) survivors.
Design:
This was a cross-sectional study conducted in the Adult Health Study of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation.
Subjects:
We examined 2686 subjects (834 men and 1852 women), aged 48-89 years (0-40 years at A-bomb exposure), for BMI analysis. Among them, 550 men and 1179 women underwent DXA in 1994-1996 and were eligible for a body composition study.
Results:
After being adjusted for age and other potential confounding factors, A-bomb radiation dose was associated significantly and negatively with BMI in both sexes (P=0.01 in men, P=0.03 in women) and appendicular lean mass (P<0.001 in men, P=0.05 in women). It was positively associated with trunk-to-limb fat ratio in women who were less than 15 years old at the time of exposure (P=0.03).
Conclusions:
This is the first study to report a significant dose response for BMI and body composition 50 years after A-bomb radiation exposure. We will need to conduct further studies to evaluate whether these alterations affect health status.
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