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Author Spotlight: Advancements in 3D Optical Imaging for Comprehensive Body Composition Assessment in Modern Research
Published on: June 7, 2024
The body composition phenotype of Irish adults aged 18-81 years
C Toomey1,2, S Leahy1,3, K McCreesh2
14i Centre for Interventions in Infection, Inflammation and Immunity, Graduate Entry Medical School, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
Background:
Regional distribution of adiposity and lean tissue mass are predictors of health risk that cannot be defined by body mass index but can be attained by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Age and sex-related adult ranges of whole-body and regional adiposity and lean tissue are not available for Irish men and women.
Aims:
The aim of this study was to construct a DXA-based body composition profile of Irish adults, focusing on age- and sex-related difference in total and regional adiposity and lean tissue mass.
Methods:
The study population comprised a convenience sample of 1606 participants, aged 18-81 years participating in the University of Limerick Body Composition study. Data were analysed to construct stature-normalised indices of body fat mass (BFMI), site-specific visceral adiposity, lean tissue mass (LTMI) and appendicular lean tissue mass (ALTMI).
Results:
Compared to the young adult (18-29 years), BFMI was higher in women (p < 0.001) but plateaued in men aged >50 years. For men, age-related difference in LTMI was not evident but ALTMI was significantly lower in those >50 years. For women, there was evidence of significantly lower LTMI with advancing age and, similar to men, significantly lower ALTMI in those >50 years.
Conclusions:
These data provide an insight into the age-related anthropometric phenotype of Irish adults. Centile data have been constructed that provide informative data of the age and sex-specific range of adiposity and lean tissue mass. These data may assist in identification of those at risk of aberrant, body composition-related disease.
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