Abdominal fat distribution and its relationship to sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD) and SAD-height ratio – An analytical cross-sectional study in the South Indian population

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of obesity is increasing in developing countries like India. This will place a great burden on the health infrastructure of the country. Early identification and intervention are the keys to managing this important problem. Since Asians tend to have more visceral body fat for any given body mass index (BMI), lower cut-off values have been suggested for different anthropometric parameters. Studies determining the correlation of Sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD) and SAD-height ratio (SADHtR) with total visceral fat volumes measured by computed tomography (CT) scan abdomen quantification are limited in the South Indian population. Aims and Objectives: This study was conducted with the objectives of measuring BMI, SAD, SADHtR, and comparing the correlation of the measured anthropometric parameters with visceral and subcutaneous abdominal fat volumes measured using CT scan abdomen in both the genders in South Indian population. Materials and Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study was done in a hospital setting with a sample size of 566 (276 men and 290 women-aged 30–70 years). Weight, height, and BMI were measured. SAD was measured electronically from a CT image at the L4–L5 level. SADHtR was derived. Total abdominal fat volumes, subcutaneous abdominal fat volumes, and visceral abdominal fat volumes were measured in cm3 from the dome of the liver to the pubic symphysis using software for CT-based quantification of fat volumes between −190 and −30 Hounsfield units threshold limits. The data were tabulated and analyzed to compare mean values between men and women and to find the correlation between the anthropometric parameters and visceral fat volume using Pearson’s correlation test. Results: The difference in mean values of BMI, SAD, and SADHtR between the sexes was statistically significant. SAD showed the highest correlation with visceral fat volume in both genders. BMI showed a higher correlation with subcutaneous adipose tissue volume than with visceral adipose tissue volume. Conclusion: Both SAD and SADHtR can be used as simple and reproducible anthropometric tools to identify the presence of increased visceral fat volume in both genders in our population.