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Fat distribution and mortality: the AGES-Reykjavik Study
Annemarie Koster1, Rachel A Murphy, Gudny Eiriksdottir
1Department of Social Medicine, CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)
|March 11, 2015
Summary
Regional fat distribution, not just overall fatness, impacts mortality risk. Thigh intermuscular fat increased risk in men, while visceral fat raised risk in women, but subcutaneous fat lowered it.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Epidemiology
- Metabolic Health
Background:
- Body composition, specifically regional fat distribution, is increasingly recognized as a critical determinant of health outcomes.
- Understanding the differential impact of various fat depots on mortality is essential for targeted health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between specific regional fat depots (abdominal visceral, abdominal subcutaneous, thigh intermuscular, thigh subcutaneous) and all-cause mortality.
- To determine if these associations persist independently of overall adiposity and other risk factors.
Main Methods:
- Utilized computed tomography (CT) scans to quantify abdominal and thigh fat depots in 2,187 men and 2,900 women (aged 66-96) from the AGES-Reykjavik Study.
- Followed participants for 11 years to track all-cause mortality events.
- Adjusted analyses for a comprehensive list of covariates including age, BMI, lifestyle factors, and comorbidities.
Main Results:
- In men, increased thigh intermuscular fat was significantly associated with higher mortality risk (HR: 1.17).
- In women, increased visceral fat was linked to higher mortality risk (HR: 1.13), whereas increased abdominal subcutaneous fat was associated with lower mortality risk (HR: 0.70).
- Significant interactions with BMI in women revealed visceral fat as a strong mortality predictor in obese women, while subcutaneous fat offered protection in normal-weight/overweight women.
Conclusions:
- Fat distribution patterns are independent predictors of long-term mortality, irrespective of overall body mass index (BMI).
- The contrasting effects of visceral and subcutaneous fat on mortality in women highlight the complex interplay between fat location, quantity, and health outcomes.
