Estimation of Visceral Fat Area by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis and Its Relationship with Clinical Parameters

Abstract

Objective: Accumulation of visceral fat plays a key role in the development of metabolic syndrome (MS) which is a serious health problem worldwide. Although computed tomography (CT) is considered to be the gold standard for the diagnosis of MS, its application to screening for MS is problematic.
Methods: We evaluated the usefulness of visceral fat area (VFA) estimated by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) by studying its relationships with clinical parameters related to metabolic syndrome.
Results: Serum triglyceride levels, GOT, GPT and γ-GTP were significantly higher in subjects with VFA≧100cm² than those with VFA<100cm². Blood pressure, blood tests and many other parameters were correlated with percentage of body fat (%BF) and VFA. The relationship between %BF and VFA was not linear with the increase in VFA being much greater in those with %BF≧20 than in those with %BF<20. VFA measurement by BIA was therefore considered to be advantageous in that it closely reflected clinical parameters and allowed visceral fat accumulation to be more accurately estimated than by %BF. When subjects were categorized into four groups according to their VFA, a dose-response relationship was evident between the above parameters and VFA.
Conclusion: VFA measurement by BIA could be a good alternative to CT in screening for MS