Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2013;2(3):445-448.
doi: 10.6051/j.issn.2224-3992.2013.02.217.

Percent Body Fat Measured by Bioelectrical Impedance is Not Associated with Colorectal Adenoma Status

David J Frantz  1 , Seth D Crockett  1 , Joseph A Galanko  1 , Robert S Sandler  1
Affiliations

Percent Body Fat Measured by Bioelectrical Impedance is Not Associated with Colorectal Adenoma Status

David J Frantz et al. J Gastroenterol Hepatol Res. 2013.

Abstract

Background: Obesity is a risk factor for colorectal neoplasia. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a novel and convenient method to measure body fat mass. The correlation between BIA and adenoma risk is unknown.

Aims: To conduct a cross-sectional study to evaluate BIA and other measures of obesity as risk factors for adenomas.

Methods: Participants underwent screening colonoscopy between 2006 and 2008. Waist-hip ratio (WHR) and body mass index (BMI) were measured. Percent body fat was calculated by BIA using a proprietary scale. Physical activity and other risk factors were assessed by telephone interview.

Results: 255 patients with adenomas and 679 adenoma-free subjects were included. Increased age, male sex, and decreased physical activity were associated with adenoma prevalence. In multivariate analysis, WHR and BMI were independently associated with adenoma prevalence. Patients in the highest tertile of WHR had an OR of 2.0 (95% CI 1.2-3.2) compared to the lowest tertile. Obese white patients had significantly increased odds of having adenomas (OR 2.0 (95% CI 1.3, 3.2)) compared to whites with a normal BMI. Percent body fat measured by BIA was not associated with adenoma status: patients in the highest tertile of percent body fat had an OR of 1.0 (95% CI 0.7-1.6) compared to patients with the lowest tertile.

Conclusions: Percent body fat calculated by BIA was not associated with adenoma prevalence. Although BIA is a quick and convenient measure of adiposity, it is not predictive of adenoma risk perhaps because it measures the amount of fat but not the distribution.

Keywords: Adipose tissue (MeSH); Bioelectrical Impedance analysis; Colonic Neoplasms (MeSH); body fat distribution (MeSH).

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosures/Conflict of interest: None for all authors

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Tanita TBF-300WA scale used for bioelectrical impedance analysis and measurement of percent body fat in this study. Image courtesy of Tanita Corporation.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Society AC, editor. Cancer Facts & Figures 2012. Vol. 58 Atlanta, GA: American Cancer Society; 2012.
    1. Society AC, editor. Cancer Facts & Figures 2011. Vol. 58 Atlanta, GA: American Cancer Society; 2011.
    1. Siegel R, Ward E, Brawley O, Jemal A. Cancer statistics, 2011: the impact of eliminating socioeconomic and racial disparities on premature cancer deaths. CA: a cancer journal for clinicians. 2011 Jul-Aug;61(4):212–236. - PubMed
    1. Giovannucci E. Modifiable risk factors for colon cancer. Gastroenterology clinics of North America. 2002 Dec;31(4):925–943. - PubMed
    1. Martin C, Connelly A, Keku TO, Mountcastle SB, Galanko J, Woosley JT, Schliebe B, Lund PK, Sandler RS. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, apoptosis, and colorectal adenomas. Gastroenterology. 2002 Dec;123(6):1770–1777. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources