Correlates of visceral and subcutaneous fat thickness in non-diabetic obese and morbidly obese patients

Abstract

Background: To determine the correlates of visceral and subcutaneous fat thickness in non-diabetic obese and morbidly obese patients Methods: A total of 31 obese female outpatients composed of morbidly obese (n=16, BMI of >= 40kg/m(2)) and obese (n=15, BMI of 30-39.9kg/m(2)) patients were included in the present study. Data on age, anthropometrics, blood biochemistry, HOMA-IR, carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) were recorded in each subject as were plasma resistin (mu g/L) and visfatin (mu g/ml) levels, epicardial, subcutaneous and abdominal fat thickness (mm). Correlates of visceral and subcutaneous fat thickness were determined via linear regression models with inclusion of severity of obesity, insulin resistance, plasma resistin and visfatin levels and CIMT as variables. Results: Epicardial fat thickness (mm) was 3.1(1.0-10.20) and 8.8(2.60-13.0), CIMT (mm) was 5.8(4.7-8.9) and 5.9(4-8.6), abdominal fat thickness (mm) was 10.8(7.8-16.1) and 13.2(8.7-16.5), subcutaneous fat thickness(mm) was 43.8(28.4-62.9) and 57.4(39.5-72.7), plasma resistin levels (mu g/L) were 8.5(4.7-38.1) and 10.8(0.7-26.4) and plasma visfatin levels (mu g/ml) were 55.5(5.1-209.5) and 78.2(4.7-228) in obese and morbidly obese patients, respectively. Linear regression analysis revealed that being morbidly obese was likely to increase epicardial fat thickness by 4.33mm(p=0.004) compared with obesity, while for each 1 unit increase in HOMA levels, subcutaneous fat thickness was likely to decrease by 1.16mm(p=0.009). Conclusion: In conclusion, our findings revealed that neither plasma levels for resistin and visfatin nor CIMT correlated with visceral or subcutaneous fat thickness in non-diabetic obese females, while increase in subcutaneous and epicardial fat thickness values were noted with decrease in HOMA-IR and the presence of morbid obesity, respectively.