Usefulness of Sagittal Abdominal Diameter for Evaluation of Metabolic Syndrome and Insulin Resistance

Abstract

Background: We studied the association of sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD) and metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance in Korean adults. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study by 190 patients who visited a Health Promotion Center of National University of Pusan from 11 November to 14 November, 2008. We analyzed the association of anthropometry (waist circumference, BMI, SAD), insulin resistance (homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance, HOMA-IR), insulin sensitivity (quantitative insulin sensitivity check index, QUICKI), and plasma concentrations of glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglyceride. SAD was categorized into quartiles and assessed odds ratio of metabolic syndrome adjusted for age, sex, lifestyle factors. Results: SAD showed significance correlation to HOMA-IR than BMI. Quartiles of SAD showed a positive trend with metabolic risk factors including abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, HOMA-IR and obesity but hypertriglyceridemia, low HDL-cholesterolemia did not show significant association. In men QUICKI was significantly high. A multivariate model, adjusted for age, sex, smoking status, physical activity, heavy drinking, HOMA-IR and QUICKI, revealed a progressively increased odds ratio of metabolic syndrome, 3rd quartile (odds ratio [OR]; 9.467; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.225 to 27.789; P < 0.001) and 4th quartile (OR, 7.253; 95% CI, 2.437 to 21.586; P < 0.001), with increasing SAD. Conclusion: As shown above, SAD was a strong anthropometric marker of insulin resistance, risk of metabolic syndrome and decreased insulin sensitivity in Korean adults.