Trunk Skinfolds Research Articles

Association of Body Mass Index, Body Fat and Hypertension among Postmenopausal Women

The association of systolic and diastolic blood pressure with body mass index, waist hip ratio, the sum of three trunk skinfolds, the sum of the six skinfolds, the ratio of the sum of the trunk to the sum of the extremity skinfolds and relative fat pattern index and the correlations between each of these were examined among 30 hypertensive and 30 normotensive post menopausal women of Udaipur city. Anthropometric measurements and indices like weight, height, WHR, abdominal obesity, body mass index were higher in hypertensive women. Adiposity measures had consistant relationship with blood pressure. The correlation coefficients of the adiposity measure and blood pressure are intercorrelated with a few exceptions in both groups.

Overweight and obesity prevalence in urban Sardinian children

The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children (6-10 years) of the city of Cagliari (Sardinia, Italy) with different socioeconomic status. The sample is composed by 1000 children, 500 males and 500 females, 6 to 10 years old, attending primary schools in Cagliari during 2003. For uniformity with similar Italian studies, in this study overweight and obesity were defined as calculated from the charts published by Tanner et al. (1966). In the Cagliari children, the prevalence of obesity is 22.70%. The percentages of overweight and obese children increase with age: respectively from 11.5% and 14.0% at 6 years to 15.4% and 22.7% at 10 years. There are higher numbers of overweight and obese boys than girls in all the age classes. Both males and females show an increasing percentage of overweight and obesity as the socioeconomic level decreases. Males present higher percentages of overweight and obesity than females of the same social level, i.e. in the lowest social category overweight is 18.68% in males and 13.60% in females and obesity 26.46% in males and 23.62% in females. The standard multivariate regression analysis with the indicator of overweight and obesity as dependent variable showed that the sex (male), socio-economic status, maternal schooling and sums of the limb and trunk skinfolds have the greatest influence on overweight and obesity. The results suggest that overweight and obesity are becoming serious social and health problems in Sardinia.

Relación entre la condición física cardiovascular y la distribución de grasa en niños y adolescentes

Background The aim of the present study was to determine the association between cardiovascular fitness and body fat accumulation and distribution in children and adolescents aged 7 to 17 years. Material and methods The sample was composed of 1,625 boys and 1,244 girls. Maximal aerobic power was determined through the Course Navette running test. Anthropometric evaluation was previously performed to establish the total amount of subcutaneous body fat accumulated (the sum of six skin folds) as well as the quantity of subcutaneous fat accumulated on the trunk (sum of 3 trunk skin folds). The subjects were divided into 2 groups according to cardiovascular fitness. Those with lower VO 2 max values (last two quintiles) comprised the low cardiovascular fitness group while those with VO 2 max values between the two highest quintiles comprised the high cardiovascular fitness group. Results Differences were adjusted for age, height and body mass. In both boys and girls, better cardiovascular fitness was associated with a significantly lower amount of subcutaneous fat not only on the entire body but particularly on the trunk. Conclusions Girls and boys with better cardiovascular fitness showed a healthier body composition and lower risk of cardiovascular accidents. Fitness level should be included in health risk evaluation in the populations studied.

Changes in performance, skinfold thicknesses, and fat patterning after three years of intense athletic conditioning in high level runners

Objectives: To determine if the changes in specific skinfold sites induced by intense athletic conditioning over a three year period were associated with changes in running performance in high level...

Calcium and Dairy Intake and Measures of Obesity in Hyper‐ and Normocholesterolemic Children

Calcium intake has been inversely associated with body weight and body fatness in adults and, to a lesser extent, in children. Dairy intake has been inversely associated with metabolic syndrome in overweight but not normal-weight adults. We assessed whether intakes of calcium and dairy foods were associated with measures of obesity in hypercholesterolemic (HC) and normocholesterolemic (non-HC) children at baseline and over 1 year. Non-obese 4- to 10-year-old HC and non-HC children (342) completed three 24-hour dietary recalls and provided measures of relative weight (BMI and BMI z scores) and adiposity (sum of skinfolds, trunk skinfolds) at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months. Cross-sectional and longitudinal regression analyses, stratified by cholesterol risk status (HC vs. non-HC) and age (4 to 6 years and 7 to 10 years) and adjusted for potential confounders, were conducted. After adjusting for age, sex, energy intake, and percentage energy from fat, calcium intake was inversely associated with BMI, sum of skinfolds, and trunk skinfolds at baseline and over 1 year in the 7- to 10-year-old non-HC children. Results from the regression models also indicated an inverse relation between intake of dairy foods and measures of obesity at baseline in these children. Calcium or dairy intake was not associated with measures of obesity in HC children or in the 4- to 6-year-old non-HC children. These results suggest a complex relation among intake of calcium and dairy foods, measures of obesity, age, and serum cholesterol in children. Older children without risk of metabolic syndrome may benefit most from increased calcium intake.

Pubertal timing, hormones, and body composition among adolescent Turkana males

The Turkana, like other East African pastoral groups, are known for their tall adult stature, achieved despite a blunted growth spurt during adolescence and continued growth into the early 20s. To investigate the hormonal mechanisms associated with the pattern of slow and continued adolescent growth, we collected data on hormonal status, height, weight, and trunk skinfolds and ethnographic self-reports of testicular maturation in a cross-sectional sample of 35 nomadic and 37 settled Turkana males aged 14-24. Hormonal determinations included testosterone (T), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in blood, in addition to urinary DHEA. Self-reports of testicular maturation showed no difference between settled and nomadic subpopulations. However, nomadic boys exhibited significantly higher levels of T, DHEA, and SHBG. Of all the hormones, only SHBG showed a significant relationship with age. Multiple regression models show blood T and SHBG to be significant independent predictors of achieved height as well as weight, controlling for age. Our results suggest that onset of puberty is substantially delayed among Turkana males, and that bioavailable T is related to growth in stature during adolescence. We suggest that SHBG acts to mediate the effects of energy availability on adolescent growth in this energetically limited population. Our findings may also have implications for understanding adolescent growth among Homo erectus.

Validação de métodos de estimativa da gordura corporal em portadores do HIV/Aids

To validate different methods for estimating HIV/Aids patients' body fat: total body skinfold thickness, central (trunk) skinfold thickness, peripheral (limb) skinfold thickness, waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and computed tomography of the abdomen (CTA) were used as the gold standard. An analysis was done on 15 adult HIV/Aids patients (10 men and 5 women) who were being treated at an Aids clinic at a public university hospital, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Their total subcutaneous fat (TSF) was estimated from the sum of the thicknesses of the biceps, triceps, subscapular, midaxillary, suprailiac, abdominal and medial calf skinfolds. The central subcutaneous fat (CSF) was estimated by summing the subscapular, axillary, suprailiac and abdominal skinfold measurements. The peripheral subcutaneous fat (PSF) was estimated by summing the biceps, triceps and medial calf skinfold measurements. These were compared with Dexa. The WC, WHR and CSF were compared with CTA. In the statistical analysis, the Pearson correlation coefficient (r) and Mann-Whitney test were utilized. There was a correlation between fat mass measured by DEXA and by TSF, CSF and PSF, even after adjusting for age (r> or =0.80 for all). WC, WHR and CSF presented correlation with total abdominal fat measured by CTA, even after adjusting for age (r> or =0.80 for all). The methods for estimating body fat should be chosen according to the type of fat to be evaluated and can be used in research and healthcare services instead of DEXA and CTA for HIV/AIDS patients.

Anthropometry of women of childbearing age in Morocco: body composition and prevalence of overweight and obesity.

To determine the prevalence of obesity and body fat distribution of Moroccan women of childbearing age, using a panel of anthropometric measurements. A cross-sectional survey conducted in 1995 in an agricultural community, El Jadida province of Morocco. Weight, height, waist and hip circumferences and triceps, biceps, subscapular and supra-iliac skinfold thicknesses were measured. Body mass index (BMI), waist/hip ratio (WHR), sum of all and sum of trunk skinfold thicknesses were determined. In total, 1269 women aged 15-49 years from urban and rural areas were surveyed. The means of all anthropometric measurements including body fat were higher in urban than in rural women and increased with age. Trunk fat contributed 50% of total fat. Globally, 4.7% of women were underweight (BMI<18.5 kg m(-2)), 35.2% were overweight or obese (BMI> or =25 kg m(-2)), 10.1% were obese (BMI> or =30 kg m(-2)) and 16.8% had central obesity (WHR>0.85). The prevalence of overweight and obesity was higher in the urban than in the rural area. Underweight prevalence decreased with age, whereas that of overweight and obesity increased. All anthropometric parameters adjusted for age increased with the increase of BMI and WHR. Although undernutrition is still prevalent, there is an alarming prevalence of overweight and obesity in Moroccan women of childbearing age. The results indicate a shift in this country from the problem of dietary deficiency to the problem of dietary excess, and alert one to the necessity of establishing an intervention to prevent obesity-related diseases. It is necessary to address which of the anthropometric variables studied here is the best predictor of obesity-related diseases in this population.

High rate of prostate symptoms among Ariaal men from Northern Kenya.

To determine the prevalence and possible determinates of symptomatic benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) in a subsistence population, the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) was administered to men among the Ariaal, a group of pastoral nomads in Northern Kenya. Subjects were 56 nomadic and 62 settled men with estimated ages between 22 and 96. Anthropometric measures included height, percentage body fat, waist circumference, and six skinfolds. Saliva samples for the assay of testosterone were also obtained, as was information about common health complaints. Rates of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) were extremely high compared to those reported in industrialized societies with 49% of the men classified as having moderate to severe symptoms. The level of LUTS was higher among nomads compared to settled males, and increased with age in both sub-populations. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that suprailliac and trunk skinfold thickness, and report of fever and chest cough were significant and positive predictors of moderate to severe LUTS. When controlled for suprailliac skinfold thickness and other health symptoms, height was also a significant and negative predictor of moderate to severe LUTS. Salivary testosterone was not a predictor of LUTS. Prostate quality of life was strongly related to LUTS, with presence of chest cough as an additional predictor. These results suggest that rates of BPH may be high in subsistence populations, as a function of poor nutritional status, both short term and long term. As such, they support a role for energetic balance in the development of BPH, though the potential effects of diet or immune function cannot be ruled out.

Relationship of Age and Swim Training Distance with Body Composition in Adult Male Swimmers

0507 PURPOSE: To examine the relationship between age and weekly swim distance with body composition in adult male competitive swimmers. METHODS: Twentyeight healthy adult male U.S. Masters Swimmers 23 to 73 years of age volunteered to participate (mean age = 46.8 years). Weekly swim distance averaged 9846 m, and ranged from 3400 to 17,500 m. During a single laboratory session all subjects were assessed by: height, weight, waist circumference, abdominal sagittal diameter, skinfold thicknesses of three trunk sites and three peripheral sites, multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and whole body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). RESULTS: Mean values were as follows: body mass index (kg/m2) = 25.0 ± 2.6 (range = 21.9 – 31.6); waist circumference = 90.6 ± 8.9 cm (range = 77.5 to 112.0 cm); abdominal sagittal diameter = 12.8 ± 3.1 cm (range = 8.0 – 19.2 cm); trunk skinfolds = 41.2 ± 13.0 mm (range = 14.7 – 70.7 mm); and extremities skinfolds = 22.4 ± 7.4 mm (range = 10.3 – 42.5 mm). Percent body fat by DEXA averaged 21.9 ± 6.4% and ranged from 10.3 to 34.9%. Bone mineral density averaged 1.269 gm/cm2 ± .110 and ranged from 1.066 to 1.519 gm/cm2. The extracellular-to-total body water ratio (ECW/TBW) averaged .41 ± .02 and ranged from .38 to .45, and the total body water-to-fat-free mass (TBW/FFM) averaged .72 and ranged from .71 to .74. Subject age was associated with abdominal sagittal diameter (partial r = .41, P = .034) and ECW/TBW (partial r = .72, P = .00). The relationship between age and fat-free mass hydration approached significance (partial r = .37, P = .06) as did that between age and waist circumference (partial r = .33, P = .09). No association was observed between subject age and percent body fat, skinfold thicknesses, or bone mineral density. Average weekly swim distance did not appear to be related to any of the measured body composition variables. CONCLUSIONS: Despite variations in percent body fat and subcutaneous fat deposits in adult male swimmers, these differences were not associated with subject age or weekly swim training distance. Greater swimmer age was related to more thickness in the lower trunk and increased levels of extracellular water as compared to total body water. Supported by Louisiana State University Council on Research Summer Stipend Program.

Relationship of Age and Swim Training Distance with Body Composition in Adult Male Swimmers

0507 PURPOSE: To examine the relationship between age and weekly swim distance with body composition in adult male competitive swimmers. METHODS: Twentyeight healthy adult male U.S. Masters Swimmers 23 to 73 years of age volunteered to participate (mean age = 46.8 years). Weekly swim distance averaged 9846 m, and ranged from 3400 to 17,500 m. During a single laboratory session all subjects were assessed by: height, weight, waist circumference, abdominal sagittal diameter, skinfold thicknesses of three trunk sites and three peripheral sites, multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and whole body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). RESULTS: Mean values were as follows: body mass index (kg/m2) = 25.0 ± 2.6 (range = 21.9 – 31.6); waist circumference = 90.6 ± 8.9 cm (range = 77.5 to 112.0 cm); abdominal sagittal diameter = 12.8 ± 3.1 cm (range = 8.0 – 19.2 cm); trunk skinfolds = 41.2 ± 13.0 mm (range = 14.7 – 70.7 mm); and extremities skinfolds = 22.4 ± 7.4 mm (range = 10.3 – 42.5 mm). Percent body fat by DEXA averaged 21.9 ± 6.4% and ranged from 10.3 to 34.9%. Bone mineral density averaged 1.269 gm/cm2 ± .110 and ranged from 1.066 to 1.519 gm/cm2. The extracellular-to-total body water ratio (ECW/TBW) averaged .41 ± .02 and ranged from .38 to .45, and the total body water-to-fat-free mass (TBW/FFM) averaged .72 and ranged from .71 to .74. Subject age was associated with abdominal sagittal diameter (partial r = .41, P = .034) and ECW/TBW (partial r = .72, P = .00). The relationship between age and fat-free mass hydration approached significance (partial r = .37, P = .06) as did that between age and waist circumference (partial r = .33, P = .09). No association was observed between subject age and percent body fat, skinfold thicknesses, or bone mineral density. Average weekly swim distance did not appear to be related to any of the measured body composition variables. CONCLUSIONS: Despite variations in percent body fat and subcutaneous fat deposits in adult male swimmers, these differences were not associated with subject age or weekly swim training distance. Greater swimmer age was related to more thickness in the lower trunk and increased levels of extracellular water as compared to total body water. Supported by Louisiana State University Council on Research Summer Stipend Program.

Cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with diminished total and abdominal obesity independent of body mass index.

To determine whether, for a given body mass index (BMI), men and women with high cardiorespiratory fitness (HIGH CRF) have lower waist circumference (WC), sum of trunk skinfolds (SUM2) and sum of five skinfolds (SUM5), by comparison to those with LOW CRF. Observational cohort study. 1981 Canada Fitness Survey (CFS). A total of 3719 men and 3854 women 20-59 y of age from the 1981 CFS for whom anthropometric and physical fitness measures were available. BMI, waist circumference, skinfolds, cardiorespiratory fitness. For a given BMI, men and women in the HIGH CRF group had lower WC, SUM2 and SUM5 by comparison to those with LOW CRF (P<0.001). A significant main effect for CRF group remained for SUM2 in both men (P=0.0001) and women (P=0.007), after statistical control for the effects of extremity fat. In women, but not men, there were significant interaction effects for WC (P=0.0023) and SUM5 (P=0.01), indicating that the difference between the LOW CRF and HIGH CRF groups increased with increasing BMI. HIGH CRF is associated with lower levels of total and abdominal obesity for a given BMI by comparison to those with LOW CRF, independent of gender. This finding suggests a mechanism by which exercise attenuates the health risks attributed to obesity as measured by BMI. It is suggested that the routine measurement of WC and CRF would substantially improve the ability to identify those at health risk.

Is elbow breadth a measure of frame size in non-Caucasian Populations? A study in low- and high-altitude Central-Asia Populations

The concept of frame size has not undergone a thorough evaluation in non-Caucasian populations. Using data from the Central Asia High Altitude Population (CAHAP) study, we tested whether: (1) the relationship between frame size and body composition is different in high-, medium- and low-altitude populations; (2) elbow breadth is a better index of frame size than biacromial and biiliac breadth; and (3) measures of frame size are associated with blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides. A number of 334 male subjects aged 33±10 years (mean±standard deviation) were selected from the CAHAP population (n=384) on the basis of the availability of breadth measurements. The subjects were 85 high-altitude Kirghizs, 105 medium-altitude Kazakhs, 79 low-altitude Kirghizs and 65 low-altitude Uighurs. A detailed anthropometric evaluation and blood pressure, cholesterol and trygliceride measurements were performed on all individuals. Among breadths, elbow had the lowest correlation with arm fat area, thigh fat area, calf fat area and the sum of trunk skinfolds (r≤⃒0.196, P<0.01). Even if elbow breadth did not have the highest correlation with muscularity indexes, its constantly lower association with adiposity indexes shows that it is a better measure of frame size than biacromial breadth and biiliac breadth. The relationship between frame size and body composition did not differ in high-, medium- and low-altitude subjects (P=not significant, analysis of co-variance). Only a weak association was present between breadths, blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides (r≤⃒0.230, P<0.01) and it was not influenced by altitude (P=not significant, analysis of co-variance). Elbow breadth was significantly correlated only with diastolic blood pressure (r=0.121, P<0.05). In conclusion: (1) the relationship between frame size and body composition is similar in high- and low-altitude populations; (2) elbow breadth is an index of frame size independent of altitude; and (3) elbow breadth is correlated with diastolic blood pressure, but this correlation is of doubtful biological relevance.

Anthropometric estimates of muscle and fat mass in relation to cardiac and cancer mortality in men: the Paris Prospective Study

The associations of different components of body mass with disease outcomes are not well defined. We investigated the effects of body composition on risk of death from cardiac causes and cancer in adult men. Middle-aged men (n = 7608) in the Paris Prospective Study were followed up for 15 y. At study entry, the following measurements were obtained: sagittal diameter, sum of midarm and midthigh circumferences, sum of 3 trunk skinfold thicknesses (estimate of trunk subcutaneous fat), and sum of 3 extremity skinfold thicknesses (estimate of extremity subcutaneous fat). To assess their relative contributions to cardiac and cancer mortality, we used multivariate Cox models in which the sagittal diameter adjusted for trunk skinfold thicknesses was used as an estimate of intraabdominal fat and the sum of midarm and midthigh circumferences adjusted for extremity skinfold thicknesses was used as an estimate of muscle mass. In multivariate analyses in both smokers and nonsmokers, the sagittal diameter was the only significant predictor of cardiac death. The sum of midarm and midthigh circumferences was negatively associated and sagittal diameter was positively associated with cancer death, whereas extremity skinfold thicknesses exhibited a U-shape relation. Exclusion of subjects who died from cancer in the first 5 y of follow-up did not change these results. Intraabdominal fat appears to be the main body compartment involved in risk of cardiac death, whereas increased risk of cancer death is associated with lower muscle mass and lower subcutaneous fat, independent of smoking and after the exclusion of early mortality. Increased central fat distribution may confer additional risk of death from cancer.

Age-related changes in subcutaneous adipose tissue of adolescent distance runners and association with blood lipoproteins

Primary objective : The purpose of this study was to examine age- and sex-associated variation in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and its association with blood lipoproteins among adolescent distance runners. Methods : Serial data included 99 annual measurements for 27 males and 84 annual measurements for 27 females, aged 9-18 years. SAT was expressed as the sum of six skinfolds (SUM6; subscapular, supra-iliac, abdominal, triceps, biceps and medial calf). The ratio of the sum of three trunk skinfolds to the sum of three extremity skinfolds (TER) was used an index of relative subcutaneous fat distribution. Total blood cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides (TG) were determined by standard procedures. Results : Age- and sex-associated variation in SAT of adolescents engaged in regular endurance training is similar to trends observed in the general population of youths, although SUM6 is less. An increase in SUM6, rather than the TER, is significantly associated with an increase in LDL-C, TG and TC:HDL in adolescent males, and a decline in HDL-C and an increase in TG in females. Conclusions : This study demonstrates the differential effects of gender on the pubertal development of SAT and blood lipoproteins in young distance runners and highlights the need to explore the interactions among sexual maturation, fatness, fat distribution, exercise training, and blood lipoproteins during adolescence.

Serum leptin concentration in a rural African population.

To determine the serum leptin concentration in a cohort of healthy rural Africans, it's relation to the commonly used anthropometric measures of obesity and its relation to the patterns of distribution of fat in the body. A cross-sectional population survey. Baziya area, Transkei region, South Africa. One hundred and thirty five (79 females and 56 males) healthy adults from the Baziya location, Transkei aged 17-70 years were selected by stratified random sampling. Anthropometric measurements of height, weight, and skinfold thickness at the biceps, triceps, subscapular and suprailiac sites and derived total body fat and ratios of fat distribution. Fasting serum leptin using the sandwich ELISA method. Skinfold measurement was significantly higher in the females than the males throughout the age range. Centralization of body fat to the trunk was significantly greater in the males than in the females. Serum leptin concentration was higher in the females (mean = 13.5 ng/ml; 95% confidence interval = 10.0-16.8) than in the males (mean = 5.2 ng/ml; 95% confidence interval = 2.8-7.6) (p < 0.001). The gender difference in leptin concentration persists when expressed as serum leptin per kilogram of fat mass (serum leptin (ng/ml)/FM). The mean value for the males was 5.1 ng/ml/kg (95% confidence interval = 2.9-7.3) compared to the mean value for females of 6.9 ng/ml/kg (95% confidence interval = 5.4-8.3) (p < 0.05). In the females BMI and body fat were significant contributors to the variance in serum leptin. In the males the upper-to-lower trunk skinfold thickness ratio and BMI were the significant contributors to the variance in serum leptin concentration. Deposition of fat in the abdomen did not have a significant contribution to the variance in circulating leptin in both sexes. Serum leptin concentration in rural Africans is similar to that observed in other communities with the exception that regional fat distribution has a significant influence on the leptin levels in the males.

Total and regional fat and serum cardiovascular disease risk factors in lean and obese children and adolescents.

This study was conducted to evaluate the association of total and central adiposity with serum cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in lean and obese Portuguese children and adolescents. A total of 87 girls (13.2 +/- 1.6 years old, 29.9 +/- 6.4% body fat [mean +/- SD]) and 72 boys (13.2 +/- 1.6 years old, 20.8 +/- 9.9% body fat) volunteered for the study. Whole-body composition and fat distribution, from DXA and anthropometry, and serum lipids, lipoproteins, and apolipoproteins were evaluated. The sum of three trunk skinfolds (STS) was highly correlated with total trunk fat mass measured by DXA (p < 0.001). Body mass index, DXA-measured percentage of body fat, trunk fat mass, STS, and the waist-to-height ratio were generally found to be associated with triacylglycerol, the ratio of total cholesterol (TC) to high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), and apolipoprotein B levels, (significant age-adjusted r between 0.16 and 0.27, p < 0.05). Body mass index, STS, and the waist circumference were also associated with HDL-C (p < 0.05), whereas no body composition variable significantly correlated with TC or apolipoproteins A-I. The STS was significantly correlated with HDL-C (p < 0.01), TC/HDL-C (p < 0.05), and apolipoproteins A-I (p < 0.05) independently of whole-body fatness. Obese subjects (n = 73) had higher TC, LDL-C, TC/HDL-C, and apolipoprotein B than did non-obese subjects (n = 86), and significant associations between central adiposity and some lipid variables (triacylglycerol and HDL-C) were found in obese children and adolescents that were not present in leaner individuals. DXA- and anthropometry-based whole-body and central fat measures are associated with serum CVD risk factors in Portuguese boys and girls. Obese children and adolescents have a poorer lipid profile than do their leaner counterparts. Trunk skinfolds, which are easy to obtain even in large samples, predict CVD risk factors to the same extent as DXA-based variables, in some cases, independently of total fatness.

Impaired fasting glycaemia in middle-aged women: a prospective study

To investigate: (i) the incidence of impaired fasting glycaemia (IFG) developed over 5 y in a population-based sample of Australian-born women; (ii) prospectively the factors which are associated with the development of IFG; (iii) the association of the menopausal transition with the onset of IFG and an increase in serum insulin concentrations. A total of 265 women (110 pre-, 138 peri-, 17 postmenopausal) participants in the longitudinal phase of the Melbourne Women's Midlife Health Project, aged 46-57 and with normal fasting plasma glucose concentrations at the time of the initial measure, were interviewed, had physical measurements and blood taken annually over a 5 y follow-up period. During the study period 43 women (16%) recorded a fasting glucose concentration of > or =6.1 mmol/l (IFG). Women who recorded IFG prospectively had, at the time of the initial measure when fasting glucose concentrations were normal: higher body mass index (BMI), trunk skinfold thicknesses, waist and hip circumferences (P<0.005), lower SHBG, higher free androgen index and serum insulin concentrations (P<0.05), higher systolic blood pressure, serum triglyceride and lower HDL-cholesterol concentrations (P<0.05) than women whose fasting glucose concentrations remained normal. The onset of IFG was not triggered by the menopausal transition or hormone use. Changes in insulin concentration were associated with changes in BMI (P<0.05). Women who developed IFG during the menopausal transition exhibited significantly higher levels of body fatness and dyslipidemia, premenopausally, compared with the women who did not develop IFG. The menopausal transition did not have an effect on the development of IFG, but weight gain during this period was associated with an increase in insulin concentration.

Stability of indicators of the metabolic syndrome from childhood and adolescence to young adulthood: the Québec Family Study

The stability of indicators of the metabolic syndrome from childhood and adolescence to young adulthood was examined. The sample included 76 males and 71 females measured between the ages of 8 and 18 years and again as young adults (12 year follow-up). Indicators included the sum of three trunk skinfolds (SF3), mean blood pressure (MBP), and fasting blood glucose (GLY), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), ratio of total cholesterol to HDL-C (CHOL/HDL), and triglycerides (TG). The indicators were subjected to principal components analysis to obtain a composite risk factor index (RFI). Partial interage correlations, controlling for initial age and length of follow-up, were 0.70 and 0.50 for SF3, 0.40 and 0.54 for MBP, 0.58 and 0.56 for HDL-C, 0.51 and 0.57 for CHOL/HDL, 0.37 and 0.20 (NS) for TG, 0.30 and 0.14 (NS) for GLY, and 0.51 and 0.46 for the RFI, in males and females, respectively. The results indicate that indicators of the metabolic syndrome are moderately stable from childhood and adolescence into young adulthood.

Subcutaneous central fat is associated with cardiovascular risk factors in men independently of total fatness and fitness

The purpose of this study was to analyze the single and independent associations of whole body composition and fat distribution with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and fitness in middle-aged men. Sixty-two healthy Caucasian men (37.6 ± 2.9 yr, 81.8 ± 11.3 kg, 171.5 ± 4.9 cm) participated in the study. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used to assess total and regional body composition. The triceps, biceps, midthigh, calf, subscapular, chest, abdominal and suprailiac skinfolds, and the waist, hip and midthigh circumferences, and sagittal diameter were estimated. Cardiovascular fitness was estimated with a submaximal test. Bivariate and partial correlation analysis were used to study the association of total body percent fat (%fat), DXA trunk fat and trunk skinfolds (sum of subscapular, chest, abdominal, and suprailiac) and fitness with insulin, total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), TC/HDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), apolipoprotein AI (apo AI), apolipoprotein B (apo B), lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], and diastolic and systolic blood pressure. All anthropometric and DXA body composition variables were significantly correlated with TC/HDL-C (r from .26 to .50, P < .05). Similar relationships were found for insulin, HDL-C, and systolic blood pressure (r from .26 to .47, P < .05). Cardiovascular fitness was significantly (P < .05) associated with insulin (r = −.36), HDL-C (r = .27), TC/HDL (r = −.27), and with systolic blood pressure (r = −.37). After controlling for trunk skinfolds, none of the anthropometric and DXA body composition variables were correlated with any of the CVD risk factors. Similarly, when controlling for trunk skinfolds, cardiovascular fitness was not related to any of the metabolic variables. After adjusting for %fat, DXA trunk fat, and cardiovascular fitness, trunk skinfolds remained significantly (P < .05) related to insulin (r = .35), HDL-C (r = −.40), TC/HDL-C (r = .43), and apo AI (r = −.39). In conclusion, this study suggests that subcutaneous truncal fat, as estimated by skinfolds, is an independent predictor of CVD risk factors, and that the association between cardiovascular fitness and these risk factors may be mediated by the levels of abdominal subcutaneous fat in Caucasian middle-aged men. Copyright © 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company