Cited 21 times since 2013 (2 per year) source: EuropePMC Respiratory medicine, Volume 108, Issue 2, 10 2 2013, Pages 351-357 Association of lung function measurements and visceral fat in men with metabolic syndrome. Thijs W, Alizadeh Dehnavi R, Hiemstra PS, de Roos A, Melissant CF, Janssen K, Tamsma JT, Rabe KF
Background
Several studies have reported a positive relationship between lung function impairment and the metabolic syndrome. This is most usually explained by abdominal adiposity. We hypothesized that the main determinant of the association between lung function impairment and abdominal obesity is the presence of visceral fat.
Methods
The present study is a cross-sectional analysis of 98 non-diabetic men aged between 50 and 70 years with the metabolic syndrome. The amount of visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue was determined by an MRI scan. The association between visceral fat and measures of lung function (FEV1, FVC, exhaled and NO) was assessed using linear regression.
Results
98 participants were included in this analysis. There was a linear inverse association between visceral fat and both FEV1 and FVC. None of the other different fat-related measurements (subcutaneous fat, waist circumference and BMI) or features of the metabolic syndrome were found to be associated with these lung function measurements.
Conclusion
In non-diabetic subjects with the metabolic syndrome and a lung function that is within the normal range, visceral fat is negatively correlated with FEV1 and FVC.
