Adipose tissue attenuation as a marker of adipose tissue quality: Associations with six‐year changes in body weight

• Published in: Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) Md.), 2016-02, Vol.24 (2), p.499-505
• Main Authors: Therkelsen, Kate E., Pedley, Alison, Rosenquist, Klara J., Hoffmann, Udo, Massaro, Joseph M., Murabito, Joanne M., Fox, Caroline S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abdomen; Adipocytes; adipose tissue; Adult; Age Factors; Automation; Body fat; Body Weight - physiology; epidemiology; Female; Gastrointestinal surgery; Humans; Intra-Abdominal Fat - diagnostic imaging; Lipids; Male; Medical imaging; Mens health; Menstruation; Metabolism; Middle Aged; Obesity; population studies; Quality; Radiography, Abdominal - methods; Risk factors; Sex Factors; Studies; Subcutaneous Fat - diagnostic imaging; Tomography; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Weight control; Weight Gain - physiology; Womens health
• ISSN: 1930-7381; 1930-739X
• DOI: 10.1002/oby.21337

Objective Weight gain is associated with fat volume increases, but associations with fat quality are less well characterized The associations of weight change with visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) volume and attenuation were investigated. Methods Computed tomography abdominal scans were acquired on a Framingham Heart Study subset (N = 836; 40.2% women; mean age 45.7 years), a mean of 6.1 years apart. Fat attenuation estimated fat quality. Results Mean weight change was +2.0 (SD 6.8; IQR −0.7, 5.0) kg in women and +2.7 (SD 6.0; IQR −0.5, 5.4) kg in men. Per 2.5 kg weight increase in women, VAT volume increased 126 cm3 (95% CI, 112–140, p