Anthropological Characteristic of the Distribution of Adipose Tissue in Bulgarian Females with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Background: The complex study of adipose tissue in women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is of importance for the clinical course and prognosis of the disease. Aim: To study the distribution of adipose tissue in Bulgarian females with T2DM. Patients and methods: The study included 92 women with T2DM (age range 40-60 years). The control group consisted of 40 age-matched women. Measurement parameters: height, weight, 9 skinfolds (sf) – sfTriceps, sfBiceps brachii, sfForearm, sfSubscapular, sfXrib, sfAbdomen, sfSuprailiaca, sfThigh, and sfCalf; bioelectrical impedance analysis - % body fat tissue and visceral fat tissue. Calculated indexes: body mass index (BMI), the ratio sfTrunk to sfLimbs, the ratio skin folds upper half of body/skin folds lower half of body, fat mass and subcutaneous fat mass. Results: Statistically significant differences were found in the means of sfTriceps, sfXrib, sfThigh, sfCalf, % body fat tissue, visceral fat tissue, and fat mass and subcutaneous fat mass between the diabetic and healthy women. The body composition of diabetic females aged 40-60 years contained a larger adipose component than controls. Visceral adipose tissue which determines the body composition is a reliable indicator of the health risks in diabetic women. Conclusion: The pattern of subcutaneous adipose tissue distribution in diabetic females aged 40-60 yrs was primarily in the upper torso region and less so in the limbs. In the controls adipose tissue is accumulated primarily in the limbs and in the lower part of the body.

Comparison of 7-site skinfold measurement and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry for estimating body fat percentage and regional adiposity in Taiwanese diabetic patients

“…Also, Surendar et al [ 21 ] observed the skinfold measurements of trunk fat were higher in the South Indian people with parental history of diabetes than those with no parental history. Moreover, measuring the skinfold thickness over multiple body sites in 40–60 year-old Bulgarian women found the diabetic females presented primarily upper torso fat distribution and less so in the limbs comparing to the healthy females [ 22 ]. In our study, we assess the body fat distribution via calculating the ratio between peripheral skinfold (tricep or thigh skinfold) and android skinfold (sum of abdominal and suprailiac skinfolds).…”

“…It was performed via pinching the subcutaneous skinfold in different sites and measuring the thickness with specialized calipers. Studies have revealed it is appropriate for comparing regional adiposity [ 20 – 22 ]. Several equations have also been developed for calculating BF% using the raw data of skinfold thickness under the assumptions that majority of adipose tissues were located in the subcutaneous area and the body fat is equally distributed over the body [ 23 – 26 ].…”