Trunk Fat Mass Research Articles

Effects Of Exercise On Disablement Process Outcomes In Prostate Cancer Patients Undergoing Androgen Deprivation Therapy: An Updated Systematic Review

Although androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) is a foundation of treatment for prostate cancer (PCa) patients, adverse effects of ADT may accelerate functional decline. Whereas exercise improves muscular strength and functional performance in PCa patients, evidence of the benefits of exercise for alternative disablement process outcomes remain equivocal. PURPOSE: To update the findings of our previous systematic review of the effects of exercise on disablement process outcomes in PCa patients undergoing ADT. The purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which exercise interventions produce meaningful improvements in the specific impairment domain outcome of body composition (BC) in PCa patients on ADT. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted of all relevant published studies from December 2013-present. Data were extracted on BC outcomes from 8 published exercise intervention studies involving 307 PCa patients on ADT. The magnitude of pre- to post-intervention change was examined. To isolate the effects of exercise, studies combining other interventions were excluded. Weighted, bias-corrected Cohen’s d effect sizes were calculated for change in each outcome and averaged across included studies. RESULTS: Results revealed that exercise yielded small average improvements in lean body mass (d = 0.09), appendicular lean mass (d = 0.08), trunk fat mass (d = -0.03) and visceral fat mass (d = -0.11). All other measures of whole-body and regional BC showed negligible average effects of exercise. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this updated systematic review suggest that while exercise attenuates the established adverse effects of ADT on BC, the magnitude of exercise-induced improvements in BC outcomes is small and inconsistent across studies. These findings have important implications for delineating the effect of exercise on disablement process outcomes and underscore the potential utility of complementing exercise with targeted nutritional approaches in the supportive care of PCa patients on ADT.

Fat Mass Index Is Associated With Lower Anaerobic Power In Professional Soccer Players

PURPOSE: To analyze the association between fat mass index (kg/m2) and anaerobic power. METHODS: We evaluated 24 professional male soccer players aged 18 to 35 y. We assessed their fat content with a whole-body dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan, and then we adjusted the fat mass (kg) by squared height in meters (m2) to calculate the fat mass index for the whole body, legs, and trunk. Anaerobic power was assessed with a 30s Wingate test to obtain three variables: peak power, average power, and power drop. All adjusted for body mass. The association between the fat mass index and anaerobic power was analyzed with linear regression. Descriptive statistics were reported as median (25th - 75th percentiles). RESULTS: Fat mas index for the whole body, legs, and trunk were 2.9 (2.6 - 3.7), 1.1 (1.0 - 1.5), and 1.4 (1.2 - 1.9), respectively. For peak power, average power, and power drop, the participants showed 12.2 (11.6 - 13.2) W/kg, 9.2 (8.8 - 9.7) W/kg, and 0.21 (0.18 - 0.24) W/kg/s, respectively. The fat mass index was not significantly associated with peak power nor power drop for any of the analyzed sections (whole body, legs, and trunk). However, it was significantly associated with average power for all sections. This association was better described by the fat mass index at trunk than for the whole body and legs. CONCLUSIONS: Higher fat mass index is associated with lower average anaerobic power in professional soccer players. Nonetheless, the trunk fat mass index appears to be more relevant to explain this association.Table 1: Association between fat mass index (kg/m2) and anaerobic power.

Age- and Sex-Related Differential Associations between Body Composition and Diabetes Mellitus.

BackgroundThe age- and sex-related differences on the impacts of body composition on diabetes mellitus (DM) remain uncertain.MethodsThe fourth and fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey included 15,586 subjects over 30 years of age who completed dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. We conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate whether muscle mass index (MMI), defined as appendicular skeletal muscle divided by body mass index (BMI), and fat mass index (FMI), defined as trunk fat mass divided by BMI, were differently associated with DM according to age and sex.ResultsIn multivariate logistic regression, the risk for DM significantly increased across quartiles of FMI in men aged ≥70. Meanwhile, MMI showed a protective association with DM in men of the same age. The odds ratios (ORs) for the highest quartile versus the lowest quartile of FMI and MMI were 3.116 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.405 to 6.914) and 0.295 (95% CI, 0.157 to 0.554), respectively. In women, the ORs of DM was significantly different across FMI quartiles in those over age 50. The highest quartile of FMI exhibited increased ORs of DM in subjects aged 50 to 69 (OR, 1.891; 95% CI, 1.229 to 2.908) and ≥70 (OR, 2.275; 95% CI, 1.103 to 4.69) compared to lowest quartile. However, MMI was not significantly associated with DM in women of all age groups.ConclusionBoth FMI and MMI were independent risk factors for DM in men aged 70 years or more. In women over 50 years, FMI was independently associated with DM. There was no significant association between MMI and DM in women.

The effect of subclinical hypothyroidism on body composition parameters in children.

It's known that overt hypothyroidism increases body fat content and weight. There's limited research about the effect of subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) on body composition in children and the effect of LT4 treatment. We aimed to evaluate body composition parameters in healthy subjects and in children with mild SH (MSH) and determine the effect of LT4 treatment. Sixty-four healthy children and 32 children with MSH were included. Anthropometric measurements and hormonal parameters were evaluated. Body composition was evaluated using bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA). Patients were put on LT4 treatment. BIA was performed again after 12months of therapy. There was no significant difference between the anthropometric parameters and basal metabolic rate of the healthy children and the MSH group. The percentage of trunk muscle mass (TMM) in the MSH group was lower than in the control group (P<.05). After 12months of LT4 treatment, the percentage of total fat-free mass (FFM), TMM and trunk fat-free mass (TFFM) were increased and percentage of total body fat mass and trunk fat mass were decreased (P<.05). The difference between the percentage of TMM in the MSH group and control group was insignificant after LT4 treatment (P>.05). The percentage of TMM in children with MSH was found lower than healthy control group. After LT4 treatment, the percentage of the FFM, TMM and TFFM were increased and the difference between percentage of TMM in children with MSH and healthy controls was insignificant. Our data indicated that MSH might be associated with early changes in body composition parameters.

Differences in Body Composition among Patientsafter Hemorrhagic and Ischemic Stroke.

The aim of the study was to assess differences in the body composition of patients after hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke. There were 74 male participants in the study, of which 13 (18%) experienced hemorrhagic stroke, while 61 (82%) were after ischemic stroke. Significantly (p < 0.05) higher values of body composition variables were noted for ischemic compared to hemorrhagic strokes, and concerned: body mass (BM) (kg), basal metabolic rate (BMR) (kJ), fat-free mass (FFM) (kg), total body water (TBW) (kg), muscle mass (MM) (kg), visceral fat level (VFL), bone mass (BoM) (kg), extracellular water(ECW) (kg),intracellular water (ICW) (kg), trunk fat-free mass (TFFM) (kg) and trunk muscle mass (TMM) (kg)in the paretic upper limb; FFM (kg) and MM (kg) in the non-paretic upper limb; FFM (kg) and MM (kg) in the paretic lower limbas well as FFM (kg) and MM (kg) in the non-paretic lower limb without paresis. Only for the variables fat mass (FM) (kg), body mass index (BMI), metabolic age (MA), trunk fat mass (TFM) (kg), and FM (kg) in the paretic upper limb and FM (kg) in the non-paretic upper limb were there no significant differences. Significant differences in body composition of patients after hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke have been demonstrated. Individuals after ischemic stroke had significantly worse body composition. Incorrect body composition is a significant risk factor, especially of ischemic stroke.

Variance in respiratory quotient among daily activities and its association with obesity status.

The ability to adapt the level of daily fuel utilization to substrate availability is given by the respiratory quotient (RQ), which its variance is an indicator of metabolic flexibility. Metabolic inflexibility is associated with many pathologies including obesity, but evidence relies on bed-rest studies and exercise-based interventions. Our goal was to examine the associations for RQ variance in response to daily living activities with obesity, in healthy adults. Participants (N = 50; 25 women), 20-64 years were lying for 60 min and randomly performed three conditions for 10 min each (sitting, standing, 1 sit/stand/sit transition min-1). RQ was measured by indirect calorimetry and fat mass (FM), trunk FM (TFM), and fat-free mass (FFM) by DXA. RQ variance among the three conditions was inversely associated with BMI (ß = 0.005; p < 0.001), FM (ß = 0.007; p = 0.024), and TFM (ß = 0.008; p = 0.026). A positive association was found between RQ variance and FFM (ß = -0.007; p = 0.024). No interactions for sex were found (p ≥ 0.05). These findings suggest that a higher RQ variance in response to daily living metabolic challenges such as transitioning between sitting and standing is associated with lower overall and central obesity, as well as with a higher FFM, in healthy adults. Thus, RQ variance may work as an indication of metabolic flexibility, but these findings were obtained in a young and non-obese adult population without considering their fitness levels. Thus, further research in this field is warranted.

OR33-05 Amino Acid Signature of Abdominal Obesity in the TwinsUK Cohort

Background and aim: Metabolomic studies have shown that circulating amino acid levels are altered in the context of obesity. The branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs, namely leucine, isoleucine and valine) have been the most studied because of their consistent positive association with adiposity and their ability to prospectively predict type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (1). Circulating glutamate has been much less investigated, but some have shown that its specific association with central fat accumulation was stronger than that of BCAAs (2). This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between circulating glutamate and abdominal obesity and the impact of genetic factors on this association. Methods: In the TwinsUK cohort, we selected individuals for whom both metabolomics and DXA trunk fat measurements were available (n=4 665). We used linear regression to assess the correlation between glutamate level and trunk fat. Those with a trunk fat mass greater than 15 kg were considered abdominally obese. We compared the odds of presenting abdominal obesity in each circulating glutamate quintile with logistic regression models. Monozygotic twin pairs discordant for trunk fat were selected to identify analyte differences driven by non-genetic factors. All analyses were also performed with BCAAs for comparison. Results: Circulating glutamate was positively and significantly associated with trunk fat (β: 0.28, 95%CI: 0.26-0.31). Individuals in the highest circulating glutamate quintile had a more than 8-fold higher risk of being characterized by abdominal obesity compared to those in the lowest quintile (OR: 8.44, 95%CI: 6.17-11.55). In the 54 monozygotic twin pairs discordant for trunk fat, the heavier twin had significantly higher glutamate level compared to the leaner co-twin (p-value: 4.05e-07). In all these analyses, the results for glutamate were more significant than with any of the BCAAs. Conclusion: There is a positive relationship between circulating glutamate and trunk fat that is partially independent of genetic background. This often-overlooked metabolite might represent an interesting biomarker of abdominal obesity.

Assessment of Anthropometric and Body Composition Risk Factors in Patients with both Hypertension and Stroke in the Korean Population

The association of hypertension or stroke with anthropometric and body composition indices has been evaluated individually but not for patients with both conditions. Here, we compared these indices in patients with both hypertension and stroke and evaluated the best indicators for identifying patients with both diseases in the Korean population. Data were obtained from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) conducted from 2008 to 2011. Data analysis was carried out using a complex sampling design that considered the weighting for personal analysis to represent the whole population in Korea. Binary logistic regression was conducted for evaluating potential associations, and areas under the curve were calculated to compare the predictive power of all variables for identifying patients with hypertension or both hypertension and stroke. Among all hypertension-related factors, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) exhibited a strong association in men (odds ratio (OR) = 1.390 [1.127–1.714]), whereas trunk-fat mass (OR = 1.613 [1.237–2.104]) and thoracic spine bone mineral density (BMD) (OR = 1.250 [1.044–1.496]) represented the best indicators in women. Comparison of anthropometric and body composition indices in patients with both diseases revealed that left arm BMD and left leg fat mass (LLF) were strongly associated in both men (OR = 0.504 [0.320–0.793]) and women (OR = 0.391 [0.208–0.734]). However, among patients with both hypertension and stroke, WHtR (OR = 1.689 [1.080–2.641]) and LLF (OR = 0.391 [0.208–0.734]) were the best risk predictors in men and women, respectively. Our findings suggested that the best indicators among patients with hypertension or both hypertension and stroke may differ according to men and women.

Body size and composition, physical activity and sedentary time in relation to endogenous hormones in premenopausal and postmenopausal women: Findings from the UK Biobank.

Anthropometric and lifestyle factors may influence cancer risks through hormonal changes. We investigated cross-sectional associations between body size and composition, physical activity and sedentary time and serum concentrations of oestradiol (premenopausal women only), testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in 20 758 premenopausal and 71 101 postmenopausal women in UK Biobank. In premenopausal women, higher BMI (body mass index) was associated with a lower concentration of total oestradiol (15% difference in the highest vs lowest BMI group) and a higher concentration of calculated free oestradiol (22%). In both premenopausal and postmenopausal women, higher BMI was associated with higher concentrations of total and calculated free testosterone (premenopausal 29% and 113%, postmenopausal 39% and 126%, respectively) and lower concentrations of SHBG and IGF-I (premenopausal 51% and 14%, postmenopausal 51% and 12%, respectively). Similar associations were observed with waist to height ratio, waist to hip ratio and body or trunk fat mass. Self-reported physical activity was associated with somewhat lower concentrations of total and calculated free testosterone (premenopausal 10% difference [free testosterone], postmenopausal 5% and 11% difference respectively in the most vs least active group) and a higher concentration of SHBG (premenopausal 11%, postmenopausal 10%), and the opposite was true for self-reported sedentary time. The associations were slightly stronger with accelerometer-measured physical activity, but were attenuated after adjustment for BMI. Overall, our study confirms strong associations of hormones and SHBG with anthropometric factors. The associations with physical activity and sedentary time were at most modest.

Acute effects of breaking up prolonged sedentary time on cardiovascular disease risk markers in adults with paraplegia.

Elevated levels of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk markers are highly prevalent in people with a spinal cord injury (SCI). Breaking up prolonged sedentary time with short, regular bouts of physical activity can reduce postprandial glucose and lipid levels in able-bodied individuals. The effects in people with paraplegia are unknown. The study aims were to examine the acute postprandial glucose (primary aim), lipid, blood pressure, and psychological responses (secondary aims) to breaking up prolonged sedentary time in individuals with paraplegia. This was a randomized crossover design trial. Fourteen participants with paraplegia (age 51±9years, trunk fat mass 44.3±7.7%) took part in the following two, 5.5-hour conditions: (1) uninterrupted sedentary time (SED), and (2) sedentary time interrupted with 2minutes of moderate-intensity arm crank ergometer physical activity every 20minutes (SED-ACT). Standardized breakfast and lunch test meals were consumed during each condition. The outcomes were compared between conditions using linear mixed models. Glucose area under the curve (AUC) was significantly lower during the lunch postprandial period in SED-ACT vs SED (incremental AUC 1.9 [95% CI 1.0, 2.7) and 3.0 [2.1, 3.9] mmol/L∙2.5hour, respectively, P=.015, f=0.34). There were no differences between conditions for the breakfast or total 5.5hours postprandial periods (P>.05). Positive affect was higher in SED-ACT than SED (P=.001). Breaking up prolonged sedentary time acutely attenuates lunch postprandial glucose and improves positive affect in people with paraplegia. This may have clinical relevance for reducing CVD risk and improving psychological well-being in this population.

Effects of a lifestyle intervention on body composition in prostate cancer patients on androgen deprivation therapy.

BackgroundExercise and dietary (EX+D) interventions could represent an optimal treatment for attenuating or reversing adverse effects of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in prostate cancer (PCa) patients. The Individualized Diet and Exercise Adherence-Pilot (IDEA-P) trial compared the effects of an EX+D intervention relative to standard-of-care (SC) treatment among PCa patients undergoing ADT. The present study evaluated the effects of the EX+D intervention on body composition (BC) obtained via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in a subsample of IDEA-P patients. A secondary objective was to explore the association of adiposity and lean mass with mobility performance and strength.MethodsComplete DXA data were acquired from a subsample of 22 PCa patients (EX+D: n = 13; SC: n = 9) at baseline and 3 month follow-up. Intention-to-treat analysis included data from 30 participants (M age = 66.28; SD = 7.79) with baseline DXA assessments.ResultsIntention-to-treat analysis revealed EX+D resulted in significant improvements in fat mass (P = 0.022), per cent fat mass (P = 0.028), trunk fat mass (P = 0.017), fat mass/lean mass (P = 0.040), and per cent lean mass (P = 0.026) vs. SC. EX+D also resulted in more favourable changes in appendicular lean mass/body mass (d = 0.59). Select BC outcomes were also significantly correlated with mobility performance and strength (P < 0.05) at 3 month follow-up.ConclusionsFindings suggest the EX+D intervention resulted in superior preservation of lean tissue and improvement in adiposity relative to SC treatment. Results underscore the utility of implementing EX+D interventions for preserving muscle mass and reducing adiposity in PCa patients undergoing ADT.

Two novel pleiotropic loci associated with osteoporosis and abdominal obesity.

Aiming to uncover a shared genetic basis of abdominal obesity and osteoporosis, we performed a bivariate GWAS meta-analysis of femoral neck BMD (FNK-BMD) and trunk fat mass adjusted by trunk lean mass (TFMadj) in 11,496 subjects from 6 samples, followed by in silico replication in the large-scale UK Biobank (UKB) cohort. A series of functional investigations were conducted on the identified variants. Bivariate GWAS meta-analysis identified two novel pleiotropic loci 12q15 (lead SNP rs73134637, p = 3.45 × 10-7) and 10p14 (lead SNP rs2892347, p = 2.63 × 10-7) that were suggestively associated and that were replicated in the analyses of related traits in the UKB sample (osteoporosis p = 0.06 and 0.02, BMI p = 0.03 and 4.61 × 10-3, N up to 499,520). Cis-eQTL analysis demonstrated that allele C at rs73134637 was positively associated with IFNG expression in whole blood (N = 369, p = 0.04), and allele A at rs11254759 (10p14, p = 9.49 × 10-7) was negatively associated with PRKCQ expression in visceral adipose tissue (N = 313, p = 0.04) and in lymphocytes (N = 117, p = 0.03). As a proof-of-principle experiment, the function of rs11254759, which is 235kb 5'-upstream from PRKCQ gene, was investigated by the dual-luciferase reporter assay, which clearly showed that the haplotype carrying rs11254759 regulated PRKCQ expression by upregulating PRKCQ promoter activity (p = 4.60 × 10-7) in an allelic specific manner. Mouse model analysis showed that heterozygous PRKCQ deficient mice presented decreased fat mass compared to wild-type control mice (p = 3.30 × 10-3). Mendelian randomization analysis demonstrated that both FNK-BMD and TFMadj were causally associated with fracture risk (p = 1.26 × 10-23 and 1.18 × 10-11). Our findings may provide useful insights into the genetic association between osteoporosis and abdominal obesity.

How Does Obesity Influence the Risk of Vertebral Fracture? Findings From the UK Biobank Participants.

ABSTRACTObesity and osteoporotic‐related fractures are two common public health problems, although it is unclear how obesity affects the risk of vertebral fractures. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between different measures of obesity and the risk of vertebral fracture, and to establish the various clinical factors that can predict such risk. We analyzed data obtained from 502,543 participants in the UK Biobank (229,138 men and 273,405 women), aged 40 to 69 years. Imaging information was available in a subset of this cohort (5189 participants: 2473 men and 2716 women). We further examined how BMD and geometry of the vertebrae were related to body fat measures. It was shown that a larger waist circumference (WC), but not BMI, was associated with an increase in fracture risk in men, but in women, neither BMI nor WC affected the risk. Trunk fat mass, visceral adipose tissue (VAT) mass, and limb fat mass were negatively associated with vertebral body BMD and geometry in men and women. BMD and geometry are related to vertebral strength, but may not be directly related to the risk of fractures, which is also influenced by other factors. The binary logistic regression equation established in this study may be useful to clinicians for the prediction of vertebral fracture risks, and may provide further information to supplement the fracture risk assessment tool, which assesses general fracture risks. © 2020 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Lifetime Weight Cycling and Central Fat Distribution in Females With Obesity: A Brief Report

Weight cycling (WC) is a common phenomenon in patients with obesity, however, its consequence on body composition has not yet been fully understood. Therefore, we aimed to determine whether multiple WC can negatively affect the latter, especially in terms of body fat distribution in female adults seeking treatment that are overweight or obese. Body composition was obtained using a segmental body composition analyser (MC-780MA, Tanita Corp., Tokyo, Japan) in 125 adult females who had been referred to the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at the Beirut Arab University (Lebanon). WC was defined as intentional weight loss of ≥3 kg followed by involuntary weight regain of ≥3 kg, and participants were categorized as WC if they had experienced ≥2 cycles. Ninety of the 125 participants met the criteria for WC and displayed a higher total and trunk fat mass than those without WC. This was confirmed through linear regression analysis, showing that multiple WC were associated with increased fat mass (FM) by nearly 4.2 kg (β = 4.23, 95%CI: 0.81–7.65, p = 0.016)–2.4 kg in the trunk region (β = 2.35, 95%CI: 0.786–3.917, p = 0.004) when compared to the non-WC group, after adjusting for age and fat-free mass. In conclusion, multiple WC is associated with increased body fat, especially in the central region. Future studies are needed to examine the impact of this fat distribution on health outcomes in this phenotype of patients.

Influence of Sex Hormones on the Relationship Between Body Fat and Glycated Albumin Levels

BackgroundPrevious studies have reported that glycated albumin (GA) is affected by body fat distribution. Sex hormones are reported to play an important role in fat metabolism. AimThis study aimed to explore the influence of sex hormones on the relationship between body fat and GA in a community population. MethodsWe recruited 763 middle-aged and elderly subjects with normal glucose tolerance from communities. GA was determined using the enzyme method, and serum estradiol (E2), total testosterone, and sex hormone–binding globulin (SHBG) were detected using chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassays. OutcomeThere was a statistically significant association between SHBG and GA remained after adjusting for body fat in both men and women. ResultsThe average serum GA levels were 13.40 ± 1.10% in the 298 men and 465 postmenopausal women included in this study. GA presented a significant downward trend with increasing quartiles of total fat mass (FM), limb FM, and trunk FM in both men and women (all P for trend < .01). In men, total testosterone, free testosterone, and SHBG were positively correlated with GA (both P < .01), and the correlation between SHBG and GA remained after adjusting for body fat (P < .01). In women, E2, free testosterone, bioactive testosterone, and SHBG were correlated with GA (all P < .01); furthermore, the positive correlation between SHBG and GA and the inverse correlation between E2 and GA remained after adjusting for body fat (both P < .05). Multivariate linear regression analyses showed that in addition to trunk FM, SHBG was positively correlated with GA in both men and women (standardized β = 0.136, P = .035; standardized β = 0.101, P = .033); however, E2 was not independently correlated with GA in women. Clinical ImplicationsSHBG may contribute to the influence of body fat, especially trunk fat on GA levels. Strengths & ImplicationsThis study used an automated bioelectrical impedance analyzer to measure segmental body composition including limb FM and trunk FM and further investigated the role of segmental body fat in the correlation between SHBG and GA. Sex hormones may explain in part why body fat content and distribution can alter GA levels. ConclusionSHBG is positively correlated with serum GA levels, and this correlation is independent of total or segmental body fat.Xu Y, Ma X, Shen Y, et al. Influence of Sex Hormones on the Relationship Between Body Fat and Glycated Albumin Levels. J Sex Med 2020;17:903–910.

Associations of Serum Carotenoids with DXA-Derived Body Fat and Fat Distribution in Chinese Adults: A Prospective Study

BackgroundMost previous studies have examined the associations between carotenoids and anthropometrics with cross-sectional designs. Few studies have investigated the associations between serum carotenoids and fat mass and fat distribution (general vs central type). ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the associations of serum carotenoids with body fat and fat distribution in Chinese adults. DesignCross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of a prospective, community-based cohort were performed. Participants/settingThere were 4,048 participants aged 40 to 75 years recruited in the Guangzhou Nutrition and Health Study from 2008 to 2013. Main outcome measuresSerum carotenoids were assessed at baseline. Anthropometrics, fat mass (FM), and percentage FM (%FM) over the total body, trunk, limbs, and android and gynoid regions were obtained by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry for 3,002 participants between 2011 and 2013 and for 2,537 participants after 3.1 years. Statistical analysisCross-sectional and longitudinal analyses were performed to compare the mean differences in adiposity indices among the quartiles of carotenoids. ResultsCovariance analyses showed significant inverse associations between serum total carotenoid levels and adiposity indices cross-sectionally (all P trends<0.05). The percentage mean differences in quartile 4 (vs 1) in FM and %FM were much more pronounced in the trunk (–15.4% and –7.74%) and android area (–16.6% and –8.59%) than those in the limbs (–8.31% and –4.51%) and gynoid area (–7.76% and –2.71%) (all P<0.001). Longitudinal results revealed that higher total carotenoids were associated with significantly lower 3-year increases in body mass index (calculated as kg/m2); waist circumference; waist-to-hip ratio; body FM in the limbs and android and gynoid area; and %FM in total body, trunk, and limbs (all P trends<0.05). Regarding individual carotenoids, β-carotene tended to have the most notable beneficial associations with the majority of fat indices, especially for cross-sectional analyses. ConclusionsSerum carotenoid concentrations are inversely associated with body fat, especially in the abdominal region, in Chinese adults.

FTO rs9939609 influence on adipose tissue localization in the Italian population.

Among the genes involved in obesity, the Fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO) is certainly one of the most known and the relation between FTO rs9939609 and BMI is highly discussed; nevertheless, data about its influence on body composition are limited. We carried out a study on a sample of 1066 Italian subjects, whose body composition and FTO rs9939609 were analyzed. We found significant relations between FTO with arm (p=0.01), abdomen (p=0.00), and trunk circumferences (p=0.00), BMI (p=0.01), FM% (p=0.00), and android FM% (p=0.01), whereas no relations were found between FTO and both gynoid fat and lean mass. To conclude, the relation between FTO and BMI is confirmed and is related specifically with android FM%. These results indicated that FTO rs9939609 may be a genetic etiological factor for obesity. Indeed, the specificity for the android FM% would indicate FTO as an etiological factor in the development of cardiovascular diseases.

Acromegaly with congenital generalized lipodystrophy \u2013 two rare insulin resistance conditions in one patient: a case report

BackgroundLipodystrophies are a group of diseases which are characterized by abnormal adipose tissue deposition and are frequently associated with metabolic changes. Congenital generalized lipodystrophy is an autosomal recessive syndrome, with a prevalence < 1:10 million. Acromegaly is a rare disease, secondary to the chronic hypersecretion of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1, with characteristic metabolic and somatic effects. “Acromegaloidism” is a term used for patients who manifest clinical features of acromegaly, but do not present a demonstrable hormone growth hypersecretion. The extreme shortage of subcutaneous adipose tissues and muscle hypertrophy confer an acromegaloid-like appearance in these patients.Case presentationWe describe a case of a patient with the rare combination of Berardinelli–Seip congenital lipodystrophy and acromegaly; our patient is a 63-year-old white man, who was referred to an endocrinology consultation for suspected lipodystrophy. He had lipoatrophy of upper and lower limbs, trunk, and buttocks, with muscular prominence, acromegaloid facial appearance, large extremities, and soft tissue tumescence. In addition, he had dyslipidemia and prediabetes. His fat mass ratio (% trunk fat mass/% lower limbs fat mass) was 1.02 by densitometry and he also had hepatomegaly, with mild steatosis (from an abdominal ultrasound), and left ventricular hypertrophy (from an electrocardiogram). His first oral glucose tolerance test had growth hormone nadir of 0.92 ng/mL, and the second test, 10 months afterwards, registered growth hormone nadir of 0.64 ng/mL (growth hormone nadir < 0.3 ng/mL excludes acromegaly). Pituitary magnetic resonance imaging identified an area of hypocaptation of contrast product in relation to a pituitary adenoma and he was subsequently submitted to transsphenoidal surgical resection of the mass. A pathological evaluation showed pituitary adenoma with extensive expression of growth hormone and adrenocorticotropic hormone, as well as a rare expression of follicle-stimulating hormone and prolactin.A genetic study revealed an exon 3/exon 4 deletion of the AGPAT2 gene in homozygosity.ConclusionsCongenital generalized lipodystrophy is a rare disease which occurs with acromegaloid features. As far as we know, we have described the first case of genetic lipodystrophy associated with true acromegaly.Although this is a rare association, the presence of congenital generalized lipodystrophy should not exclude the possibility of simultaneous acromegaly.

Examining Bone, Muscle and Fat in Middle-Aged Long-Term Endurance Runners: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Aerobic exercise training has many known cardiovascular benefits that may promote healthy aging. It is not known if long-term aerobic exercise training is also associated with structural benefits (e.g., lower fat mass, higher areal bone mineral density (BMD) and greater muscle mass). We evaluated these parameters in middle-aged long-term endurance runners compared to sex-, age-, height-, and weight-matched non-running controls. Total and regional lean and fat mass and areal BMD were assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Sagittal magnetic resonance images captured the cross-sectional area and thickness of the lumbar multifidus. Runners (n = 10; all male) had a mean (standard deviation; SD) age of 49 (4) years, height of 178.9 (4.9) cm, weight of 67.8 (5.8) kg, body mass index (BMI) of 21.4 (1.4) kg/m2 and had been running 82.6 (27.9) km/week for 23 (13) years. Controls (n = 9) had a mean (SD) age of 51 (5) years, height of 176.0 (5.1) cm, weight of 72.8 (7.1) kg, and BMI of 23.7 (2.1) kg/m2. BMI was greater in controls (p = 0.010). When compared to controls on average, runners had a 10 percentage-point greater total body lean mass than controls (p = 0.001) and 14% greater trunk lean mass (p = 0.010), as well as less total body (8.6 kg; p < 0.001), arm (58%; p = 0.002), leg (52%; p < 0.001), trunk (73%; p < 0.001), android (91%; p < 0.001), and gynoid fat mass (64%; p < 0.001). No differences were observed between groups for BMD outcomes or multifidus size. These results underscore the benefits of endurance running to body composition that carry over to middle-age.

Trunk fat mass correlates with balance and physical performance in a community-dwelling elderly population: Results from the Korean Frailty and aging cohort study.

This study aimed to investigate whether trunk fat mass measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) correlates with balance and physical performance.This study utilized 2-year baseline data pertaining to 3014 participants from the database of the Korean frailty and aging cohort study. The trunk lean mass and fat mass were measured by DEXA. Trunk fat mass index (tFMI) was established using the following standard equation: Trunk fat mass (Kg)/height2 (m2). The clinical balance tests were performed using the timed up and go test (TUG), total balance score in short physical performance battery (SPPB). We performed SPPB and evaluated independence of daily living using activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), sarcopenia screening tool (SARC-F) and both hand grip power. In our study, we tried to check the correlation of tFMI with balance and physical performance and to determine the factors associated with tFMI.The tFMI was positively correlated with mean values of 4 m gait speed, repeat chair stand time in SPPB, TUG, and SARC-F and negatively correlated with hand grip, IADL, total balance test score in SPPB, total SPPB score, and age. The results of the multiple generalized linear model analysis that assessed the factors associated with balance and physical performance indicated that tFMI had a significant correlation with repeat chair stand time in SPPB (seconds) (Beta estimate [B]: 0.252), TUG (seconds) (B: 0.25), 4 m gait speed (seconds) (B: 0.055), and total balance score in SPPB (B: −0.035).Higher tFMI using DEXA was correlated with low physical performance and balance, indicating that trunk fat mass was associated with balance and physical performance in community-dwelling older people.