Gender differences in subcutaneous and perirenal fat distribution

Abstract

Purpose Body mass index (BMI) has been shown to influence the outcome of various surgical procedures. The purpose of this study is to assess the relationship between BMI, gender, and the distribution of subcutaneous and perirenal fat. Methods A retrospective review was performed for 123 patients who underwent radical or partial nephrectomy. Preoperative CT scans were reviewed by two independent observers. Subcutaneous fat was measured at three locations and perirenal fat was measured at six locations. Statistical analysis was performed using the Student's t test and the Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results Mean anterior subcutaneous fat was significantly greater in females than in males (2.54 vs. 1.78 cm, p \ 0.001) as was mean right posterolateral subcutaneous fat (2.78 vs. 2.21 cm, p = 0.03). With regard to perirenal fat, men were greater than women for all perirenal locations around the left kidney. For the right kidney, men were greater than women for four out of six perirenal positions. In both men and women, BMI was strongly correlated with subcutaneous fat. However, BMI was weakly correlated with perirenal fat. Conclusions Women exceed men in subcutaneous fat, while men exceed women in perirenal fat. Obese patients are very likely to have large amounts of subcutaneous fat, but will not necessarily have proportionally increased fat around their kidneys when compared to the patients with lower BMI. These differences may have important implications for surgical approaches to the kidney.

Hepatic steatosis: correlation of bmi, CT fat measurements and liver density, and biopsy results

“…We conducted the present study to understand the relationship of BMI, the imaging distribution of body fat, and the diagnosis of fatty liver disease. As expected, BMI strongly correlated with the anterior subcutaneous fat thickness in all patients, which is in agreement with findings of previous studies (10,23,24). Furthermore, these two metrics had a moderate correlation with the presence of hepatic fatty infiltration.…”

“…It is interesting to note that in 7/8 (88%) false positive cases, the patients were female. Previous studies have demonstrated increased subcutaneous fat thicknesses at all of the anatomic sites in this study in women as compared to men (10), and this difference likely resulted in the misidentification of these patients through the use of BMI and anterior subcutaneous fat thickness in this investigation. When applied only in the men in the study cohort, the specificity of BMI and the anterior subcutaneous fat thickness increased to 98% (41/42).…”

“…CT imaging was performed using a GE BrightSpeed scanner (GE Healthcare, Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom) with a protocol typically consisting of kVp=120, mAs=290-300, and a 5-mm slice thickness. CT measurements were performed on axial images using a method similar to the method described by Eisner et al (10). Subcutaneous fat was defined as the distance from the skin to the body musculature and was measured at the level of the craniocaudal mid-portion of the right kidney.…”

El proteoma del tejido adiposo subcutáneo muestra heterogeneidad anatómica

“…Por lo tanto, el hallazgo de niveles elevados de expresión de vimentina en la cadera podría estar reflejando esos cambios expansivos del tejido adiposo, más intensos en esta localización y particularmente en la capa superficial; mientras que su menor expresión en el “sub-depósito” dorsal mostraría la situación opuesta. Esto concuerda con la menor tendencia de las mujeres al depósito de TAB-Sc en localizaciones dorsales tras ganancia ponderal, en comparación con los hombres [24]. Finalmente, la vimentina es necesaria para la traslocación de los gránulos que contienen el transportador de glucosa GLUT-4 [25].…”

Adherent Perinephric Fat in Asian Patients: Predictors and Impact on Perioperative Outcomes of Partial Nephrectomy

“…Eisner et al [15] reported that the quantity of perinephric fat was greater in men than in women among patients with renal tumors and that BMI was weakly correlated with perinephric fat. It is suggested that gender could have a strong impact on perinephric fat volume and structure.…”