Objective: To get accurate measurements of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).
Design: DXA and anthropometric data and their combinations were compared to the VAT area calculated from a computed tomography (CT) single scan.
Subjects: 71 overweight subjects (44 women, 27 men), age: 16-70 y, BMI: 27-52 kg/m2.
Measurements: Total body and segmental tissue composition, and new parameters obtained from DXA, in addition to waist and hip circumferences and abdominal sagittal diameter measurements.
Results: The ratio measured at the umbilical level (sagittal diameter - subcutaneous fat width) x (transverse internal diameter)/(height) was closely related to VAT (r=0.94 for women and 0.88 for men). It gave the most predictive equation for VAT: y = 79.6x (s.e. 3.9) - 149 cm2 for the whole population (r2=0.86, P<0.0001, root mean square error=38.2 cm2. An independent relationship between lean mass or its index (r=0.52 and 0.72, P<0.001) and VAT was also found in women.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates the potential usefulness of DXA to supply accurate measurements of VAT in addition to total body composition determination in obese subjects.