Methods of predicting visceral fat in Brazilian adults and older adults: a comparison between anthropometry and computerized tomography

Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is linked with the metabolic consequences of obesity, being necessary the use alternative methods of predicting this type of fat, like anthropometry. The objective of this study was assess the performance of anthropometry in predicting visceral fat measured with computerized tomography in adults and older adults. Study transversal with 197 individuals underwent computerized tomography (CT) and anthropometry. The variables analized were: visceral adipose tissue area by CT, Sagittal Abdominal Diameter (SAD), Waist Circumference (WC) and Waist-Hip Ratio (WHR). A descriptive analysis, Pearson correlation and ROC curve were carried out. We observed Correlations higher than 0.7 (p = 0.000) between the SAD, WC and the VAT area were found in adult men and older men and in adult women. WHR displayed the least correlations. The most sensitive and specific SAD cut-off points were equal for all the men (Adults: 20.2 cm/Older adults: 20.2 cm) but different for the women (Adults: 21.0 cm; sens.: 83.3; spec.: 79.1/Older adults: 19.9 cm; sens.: 81.0; spec.:79.3). The WC cutoff points that identified a VAT area = 130 cm2 were 90.2 cm and 92.2 cm for men (adult men--sens.: 86.7; spec.: 86.1--and older men-sens.: 79.3; spec.: 77.8 -respectively), while for women the recorded values were 92.3 cm (adult women--sens.: 83.3; spec: 81.4) and 88.2 cm (older women--sens.:76.2; spec.: 69.0). This study showed that WC and SAD achieved the best performance in the identification of visceral fat considered at risk for the development of cardiometabolic diseases in adults and older adults.