Estimation of visceral fat in 9‐ to 13‐year‐old girls using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) and anthropometry

Abstract

SummaryObjectivesAccumulation of visceral fat (VF) in children increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, and measurement of VF in children using computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is expensive. Dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) may provide a low‐cost alternative. This study aims to determine if DXA VF estimates can accurately estimate VF in young girls, determine if adding anthropometry would improve the estimate and determine if other DXA fat measures, with and without anthropometry, could be used to estimate VF in young girls.MethodsVisceral fat was measured at lumbar intervertebral sites (L1–L2, L2–L3, L3–L4 and L4–L5) using 3.0T MRI on 32 young girls (mean age 11.3 ± 1.3 years). VF was estimated using the GE CoreScan application. Measurement of DXA android and total body fat was performed. Weight, height and waist circumference (WC) measurements were also obtained.ResultsWaist circumference and body mass index were both strongly correlated with MRI, although WC was the best anthropometric covariate. Per cent fat (%fat) variables had the strongest correlation and did best in regression models. DXA %VF (GE CoreScan) and DXA android %fat and total body %fat accounted for 65% to 74% of the variation in MRI VF.ConclusionWaist circumference predicted MRI VF almost as well as DXA estimates in this population, and a combination of WC and DXA fat improves the predictability of VF. DXA VF estimate was improved by the addition of WC; however, DXA android %fat with WC was better at predicting MRI VF.

Comparison of abdominal visceral adipose tissue measurements in adolescents between magnetic resonance imaging and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry

“…Another study in adolescent females found similar high correlations between DXA and a smaller MRI area (four intervertebral slices) but did not compare actual values between the devices( 14 ). An investigation using an updated CoreScan (version 16) and MRI found DXA underestimated VAT in older men with an absolute bias of 30%, but had good agreement( 15 ).…”

“…Yet population level differences may provide insight to software developers and researchers on the systematic differences between techniques. Unfortunately, recent CoreScan software (versions greater than 13.60) do not output VAT values for subjects below 18 years of age, which has caused some researchers to override this stipulation by adjusting birthdates( 14 ). Currently, an adolescent option is not available in the software.…”

“…Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is a more economical and available tool that can also identify VAT. A recent study using the General Electric (GE) DXA reported high correlations with MRI measured VAT in adolescent females (9–13 years of age, rho =0.76, DXA: 0.23±0.22kg, MRI: 0.06±0.03kg)( 7 ). It is unclear if these techniques are correlated when considering other subgroups as research suggests less agreement in higher body mass index (BMI) categories( 8 ).…”

Metabolic syndrome, biochemical markers, and body composition in youth living with perinatal HIV infection on antiretroviral treatment

“…The latter may be the most feasible option as it is the least expensive, can be performed quickly, and exposes patients to a minimal amount of ionizing radiation. DXA android percent fat with waist circumference was reported as a good predictor for visceral fat measured by MRI in a Japanese study among preadolescent girls [12]. Increased abdominal fat may indicate higher metabolic risk.…”

The Potential for Using Sonography to Measure Abdominal Adiposity in Children

“…DXA (android percent body fat, subscore) in addition to WC improved the estimate of the visceral fat measurements. 6 Although DXA could be used as an alternative to MRI or CT, it still does not have the capability of definitively differentiating visceral and subcutaneous fat layers within the abdomen. In addition, DXA is not readily available and requires low doses of ionizing radiation to make an indirect quantitative assessment.…”