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. 2008 Dec;6(4):281-8.
doi: 10.1089/met.2008.0026.

Variable contributions of fat content and distribution to metabolic syndrome risk factors

Scott M Grundy  1 , Beverley Adams-Huet, Gloria Lena Vega
Affiliations

Variable contributions of fat content and distribution to metabolic syndrome risk factors

Scott M Grundy et al. Metab Syndr Relat Disord. 2008 Dec.

Abstract

Background: Previous reports indicate that both distribution and amount of body fat confers susceptibility to metabolic syndrome. However, the relative contributions of these two different parameters of body fat to the various components of the metabolic syndrome have not been well defined.

Methods: Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used to measure and compare the relative amounts of total body fat, truncal fat, and lower body fat in a representative sample of 2587 black, white, and Hispanic men and women from the Dallas Heart Study (DHS). The relationships among these variables and fasting plasma levels of lipids, glucose, insulin, C-reactive protein (CRP), and leptin as well as blood pressure were analyzed.

Results: Beyond total body fat, fat distribution had the greatest impact on plasma triglycerides in all subjects and on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels in women only. An intermediate effect of fat distribution was observed for homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and for blood pressure. Plasma CRP levels were much more sensitive to body fat content than to body fat distribution and leptin levels were determined almost exclusively by body fat content. Although there were minor differences among the different ethnic groups, the major relationship patterns between these variables were similar.

Conclusion: For most metabolic risk factors, both body fat content and distribution independently contributed to levels, although significant differences were seen between the relative contributions of each variable to individual risk factors.

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Figures

FIG. 1.
FIG. 1.
Truncal-to-lower body fat ratios in men and women according to total percent body fat and tertiles of ratios. With increasing percent body fat, both men and women showed an increase in ratio of truncal-to-lower body fat. Nonetheless, within a given range of percent total body fat, there remained considerable variation in ratio among the two groups.
FIG. 2.
FIG. 2.
For men, plasma levels of triglycerides, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and systolic blood pressure are plotted against percent body fat and tertiles of ratios of truncal-to-lower body fat.
FIG. 3.
FIG. 3.
For women, plasma levels of triglycerides, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and systolic blood pressure are plotted against percent body fat and tertiles of ratios of truncal-to-lower body fat.
FIG. 4.
FIG. 4.
For men and women, plasma levels of CRP and leptin are plotted against percent body fat and tertiles of ratios of truncal-to-lower body fat.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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