MRI total sagittal abdominal diameter as a predictor of metabolic syndrome compared to visceral fat at L4–L5 level

ABSTRACT

Objective: To compare associations between antero-posterior (AP) diameter or sagittal abdominal diameter – a measure of total central fat, and visceral fat alone with the metabolic syndrome as defined by ATPIII criteria.

Research design and methods: Twenty-four Caucasian male with type 2 diabetes and 24 non-diabetic Caucasian male subjects [body mass index (BMI) (±SD): 32.23 ± 7.52 kg/m², age (±SD): 51.35 ± 13.80 years] were studied by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan to measure central fat at L4–L5 level. The visceral and total central adipose tissue was calculated in cm² and total sagittal MRI diameter and visceral sagittal MRI diameters in cm. Components of the ATPIII definition of the metabolic syndrome and circulating adipocytokine concentrations were also measured.

Results: MRI total sagittal abdominal diameter was positively associated with waist circumference in controls (r = 0.62, p = 0.007) and in diabetic subjects (r = 0.81, p < 0.001). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that MRI-calculated total sagittal diameter (r = 0.61, p = 0.002) was a more significant predictor of the adverse metabolic profile of the metabolic syndrome than MRI-assessed visceral fat. Receiver operating characteristic curves revealed that MRI-calculated total sagittal diameter most effectively identified subjects with the metabolic syndrome.

Conclusions: MRI-calculated total sagittal abdominal diameter is a non-validated MRI method that predicts the adverse metabolic profile of the ATPIII definition of the metabolic syndrome. Antero-posterior fat is a dimension of central fat that seems to be more closely associated with cardiovascular risk compared to visceral fat.

Key words: :

• ATPIII criteria
• Fat, antero-posterior
• central
• visceral
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Metabolic syndrome
• Sagittal abdominal diameter

Acknowledgements

Declaration of interest: Authors do not have any conflict of interest to declare in respect to this manuscript but wish to thank Roche UK for providing financial support for this study.