Association of visceral fat with coronary risk factors in a population-based sample of postmenopausal women

OBJECTIVE: To investigate in a population-based random sample of postmenopausal women the adjusted association of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) with coronary risk factors. DESIGN: Cross-sectional population-based random sample study. SUBJECTS: Ninety-eight postmenopausal women (age 50-65 y). MEASUREMENTS: Visceral and subcutaneous fat areas by computer axial tomography, anthropometry, lipid profile, fasting glucose and insulin, diet, physical activity, smoking status and alcohol intake. RESULTS: Compared to women with low VAT, women with high VAT (> 117.8 cm(2)) had a less favorable metabolic profile with significantly higher fasting glucose (120 +/- 50 vs 98 +/- 39), insulin (7.9 +/- 10 vs 5 +/- 8), triglycerides (172 +/- 69 vs 127 +/- 72), apolipoprotein B (119 +/- 24 vs 98 +/- 32) and significantly lower HDL-C (38 +/- 10 vs 46 +/- 14) values in the whole sample (n=98). A similar profile was found in women without diabetes and hypertension (n = 39). In multiple regression models, VAT explained a portion of the variance of TG (6.2%) in the entire sample and of total cholesterol (12.4%), LDL-C (15.8%), triglycerides (16.3%), apolipoprotein B (11.6%), and fasting glucose (28.4%) in the group of non-diabetic or hypertensive women. Our VAT cut-off point of 117.8 cm(2) corresponded to a waist circumference of 84 cm. CONCLUSION: Our results in a random population-based sample of postmenopausal women confirm the association of VAT with most coronary risk factors. These associations persisted after adjusting for diet, physical activity, smoking status and alcohol intake.