The applicability of the Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI) for predicting visceral fat

Abstract

As obesity has reached epidemic proportions and given the current recognition of central adiposity as an important cardiometabolic risk factor, several researchers have focused on developing and validating predictive indexes and equations to evaluate Visceral Adipose Tissue (VAT). This study evaluates the applicability of the Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI) for predicting cardiometabolic risk in individuals treated in a hospital In the northeast region of Brazil. The VAT was evaluated by computed tomography (CT) and the VAI was calculated through specific equations for each gender. The sample involved adult and elderly patients of both genders followed up in a cardiology outpatient clinic. The following cardiometabolic parameters were collected: fasting glycemia, glycated hemoglobin, lipid profile, C-reactive protein (CRP) and uric acid. The simple linear regression was used to evaluate the explanatory power of the VAI in relation to the volume of VAT determined by CT. The predictive capacity of VAI in relation to the volume of VAT determined by CT was 25.8% (p=0.004) for males and 19.9% (p<0.001) for females. VAI correlated strongly with the triglyceride (TG) (p<0.001) and TG/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio (p<0.001) and inversely correlated with HDL (p<0.001). Moreover, VAI showed low correlation with the following variables: abdominal circumference, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein, fasting glycemia, and glycated hemoglobin (p<0.05). VAI was associated with variables considered as cardiometabolic risk factors, but exhibited a low predictive capacity regarding the volume of VAT determined by CT. Thus, caution is recommended in its use in Brazilian individuals.

Tip 2 Diyabetli Bireylerde Aterojenik Plazma İndeksi ile İlişkili Visseral Adipozite İndekslerinin Değerlendirilmesi

“…Concentrations of TG and HDL-C, as well as BMI and WC, are used to calculate the visceral adiposity index and should be an easy tool to assess the risk of metabolic disorders associated with insulin resistance (24). VAI has been shown in research to be a method for distinguishing patients with T2DM (16,(25)(26)(27). This research supports the previous studies, as well.…”

Novel genomic variants related to Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI) and Body Adiposity Index (BAI) in Indian Sib-pairs

“…Higher VAI is also strongly associated with cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular disease (CCD), (OR ranging between 1.75-2.86), and Hypertension (OR = 2.28) (14), as observed in Chinese population. In Brazilian population, VAI was capable of predicting Computed Tomography (CT) determined Visceral Adipose Tissue (VAT) ranging between 19.9%-25.8% (p = 0.004) (15). BAI, that was rst coined in 2011, is a mathematical index composed of Hip Circumference (HC), and height, and was validated as a better direct predictor of %BF (16).…”