THE EFFECT OF RACE ON ABDOMINAL FAT DISTRIBUTION IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

Abstract

PURPOSE: To determine if racial differences exist in regional fat distribution in postmenopausal Caucasian and African American (AA) women. METHODS: Fifty women (30 Caucasian and 20 AA) were scanned by magnetic resonance imaging to determine abdominal fat distribution, were measured for total body fat by hydrostatic weighing and had their fasting blood lipids measured. RESULTS: These women were matched for (mean age = 53.5 ± 0.9 yr) and percent body fat (AA:39.6 ± 2.3% vs. C: 37.1 ± 1.2%) but the AA women were significantly heavier (P < 0.01). Total abdominal fat was significantly greater in AA women than Caucasian women (12,710.6 ± 1000.6 vs. 8,807.8 ± 575.0 cm2, respectively P < 0.05), but visceral fat was not different between groups. However, AA women had significantly greater subcutaneous fat, (10,064.1 ± 825.3 vs. 5,575.3 ± 440.8 cm2, P < 0.05) but the % visceral fat was lower than in the Caucasian women (21.0 ± 1.3 vs. 31.8 ± 1.5, P < 0.05). When the abdominal fat variables were adjusted for total body fat, similar results were found. No significant differences were found in the blood lipid profile of these women. Subcutaneous fat was the only significant predictor variable of LDL (R2 = 0.27, P < 0.01) and HDL ratio (R2 = 0.27, P < 0.01). Subcutaneous and visceral fat had a significant combined predictive value for cholesterol/HDL (R2 = 0.19, P < 0.01). Race was not found to be a significant predictor of the blood lipid levels. CONCLUSIONS: In women matched for percent body fat, AA women had greater total abdominal fat than the Caucasian women and this was due to a greater accumulation of subcutaneous fat. The Caucasian women tended to put a greater percentage of their abdominal fat in the visceral region than was observed in the AA women. Supported by NIA grant #1R03AG16370-01