Anthropometric indexes for visceral fat estimation in overweight/obese women attending to age and menopausal status

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to assess the usefulness and accuracy of different anthropometric measurements in the diagnosis of abdominal visceral obesity in overweight/obese women attending to age and menopausal status. The secondary objective was to evaluate the usefulness of waist circumference (WC) in two different sites. Different anthropometric indicators were assessed in 55 overweight/obese women (n=22 premenopausal, n=33 postmenopausal; BMI > 25 kg/m(2)) and compared with computed tomography measurements of abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VA) performed as a single scan at L4-L5. Our results show that VA significantly differs between both groups of women. Waist2-hip ratio (W2HR) was significantly correlated to VA in both groups of women. After multiple regression analysis, sagittal diameter was an independent parameter to predict VA. However, no significant differences were obtained in this diameter between both groups. None of the waist circumferences were significantly associated to VA. Moreover, the two sites of WC were statistically different. In conclusion, waist-to-hip ratio, measured immediately above the iliac crest (W2HR) seems to be the more appropriated anthropometric index for the estimation of visceral fat in women, independently of age. Although sagittal diameter is a fine parameter to predict visceral fat area, it is not adequate to discriminate between women of different age or menopausal status. In contrast with previous findings, waist circumferences do not seem to be useful for predicting VA.