Three-Dimensional Soft-Tissue Facial Morphometry in Caucasian Obese Adults

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the facial morphology of Caucasian obese adults in relation to normal weight peers, and to study the association between three-dimensional soft-tissue facial measurements and cardiometabolic risk factors. Material and Methods: Nineteen Caucasian obese subjects aged 25 to 73 years underwent anthropometric measurements, blood samples and a stereophotogrammetric facial scan. Soft-tissue facial linear distances, angles, and volumes were obtained and compared to those collected on normal weight subjects by computing z-scores. Spearman correlation was used to assess the associations between facial measurements and metabolic parameters. Logistic regression analysis adjusted for sex and age was used to assess the risk of metabolic syndrome associated to the facial measurements. Results: Overall, when compared to normal weight persons, obese adults had a wider face in the horizontal dimension, with a middle face (maxilla) that was larger both in absolute value and relatively to the lower face (mandible), and a larger right side gonial angle (Wilcoxon test, p < 0.01). Only the mean (left and right) gonial angle was positively associated to serum triglycerides level, while the other facial measurements were associated with none of the cardiometabolic parameters. Moreover, none of the facial measurements was associated with the risk of metabolic syndrome. Conclusion: Despite larger facial dimensions and altered mandible/maxilla volume ratio, three-dimensional soft-tissue facial morphometry in Caucasian obese adults is not related to cardiometabolic risk factors. The actual association between morphological facial characteristics and clinical information on the health conditions of patients is still to be investigated.

Robustness of Distinctive Facial Features in Prader-Willi Syndrome: A Stereophotogrammetric Analysis and Association with Clinical and Biochemical Markers in Adult Individuals

“…Almost all patients examined in the present study were obese and 6 out of 15 were suffering from severe obesity. In a stereophotogrammetric study on facial features of obese subjects, Sforza et al [ 39 ] documented an increased mandibular width. Therefore, that feature might not be a characteristic of PWS per se, but of obesity associated with it.…”