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Adiposity assessed by anthropometric measures has a similar or greater predictive ability than dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measures for abdominal aortic calcification in community-dwelling older adults

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Abstract

To determine whether adiposity assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) compared to simple anthropometric assessments, are more predictive of abdominal aortic calcification (AAC), a risk factor for atherosclerosis. A cross-sectional study of 312 participants (60.3 % female) aged 70.6 ± 5.6 years was conducted in 2010–2011. AAC was assessed by radiography. Adiposity was estimated for whole body, trunk, android, gynoid and visceral regions using DXA in addition to body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist to hip ratio (WHR). WHR [tertile 1 as reference, OR (95 % CI) for tertile 3: 3.62 (1.35–9.72)] and android to gynoid fat ratio [tertile 3: 2.87 (1.03–8.01)] were independent predictors of AAC severity among men. Positive associations with AAC severity were observed for WC [tertile 1 as reference, OR for tertile 3: 2.46 (1.12–5.41)], % trunk fat mass [tertile 2: 3.26 (1.52–7.03)], % android fat mass [tertile 2: 2.42 (1.13–5.18), tertile 3: 2.20 (1.02–4.73)] and visceral fat area [tertile 2: 2.28 (1.06–4.87), tertile 3: 2.32 (1.01–5.34)] among women. Indices of total body composition, BMI and % body fat mass were not associated with AAC severity in either men or women. Simple anthropometric measures, WHR and WC were the best predictors of AAC severity in men and women respectively, although higher android to gynoid fat ratio and central fat, assessed by DXA, were also predictive of higher risks of AAC severity in men and women respectively. Our findings add to existing evidence that relatively inexpensive and easily obtained anthropometric measures can be clinically useful indicators of atherosclerosis risk.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Department of Medicine, Western Hospital and the University of Melbourne Research Grant Scheme and a Heart Foundation Grant. The Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study is funded by VicHealth and Cancer Council Victoria and further supported by Australian NHMRC Grants 209057, 251553 and 504711 and by infrastructure provided by Cancer Council Victoria. We thank the other investigators, staff, and participants of the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study cohort for their important contributions.

Author contribution

Dallas R English, Graham G Giles, and Peter R Ebeling conceived and designed the research. Xianwen Shang, Kerrie M Sanders, David Scott, and Allison Hodge conducted data analysis, interpretation, and wrote the initial draft of the manuscript. Belal Khan and Nayab Khan carried out experiments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Medical School-Western Campus, Level 3, 176 Furlong Road, St Albans, Melbourne, VIC, 3021, Australia

    Xianwen Shang, David Scott, Belal Khan & Kerrie M. Sanders

  2. Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science, Melbourne, Australia

    Xianwen Shang, David Scott, Belal Khan & Peter R. Ebeling

  3. The Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

    David Scott & Peter R. Ebeling

  4. Cancer Epidemiology Centre, The Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Australia

    Allison Hodge, Dallas R. English & Graham G. Giles

  5. Department of Medicine, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Patparganj, Delhi, India

    Belal Khan

  6. Department of Radiology, Diwan Chand Satyapal Aggarwaal Diagnostic Imaging Research Centre, New Delhi, India

    Nayab Khan

  7. Institute for Health and Ageing, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia

    Kerrie M. Sanders

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  1. Xianwen Shang
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Correspondence to Xianwen Shang.

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Shang, X., Scott, D., Hodge, A. et al. Adiposity assessed by anthropometric measures has a similar or greater predictive ability than dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measures for abdominal aortic calcification in community-dwelling older adults. Int J Cardiovasc Imaging 32, 1451–1460 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10554-016-0920-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10554-016-0920-2

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