COMPUTED AXIAL TOMOGRAPHIC SCAN MEASUREMENT OF ABDOMINAL FAT DISTRIBUTION AND ITS CORRELATION WITH ANTHROPOMETRY AND INSULIN-SECRETION IN HEALTHY ASIAN INDIANS

Asian Indians have high insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, a high p revalence of diabetes, and a high waist to hip ratio (WHR), although t he rate of obesity is low. WHR and visceral fat (VF) are highly correl ated, and both are associated with insulin resistance. This study was performed to determine the normal ranges of abdominal fat distribution (subcutaneous [SF] and VF) in nondiabetic South Indians and also to s tudy its correlations with WHR, plasma insulin, and metabolic profiles , Fat areas were measured by computed axial tomographic scan at the L- 4 to L-5 level. Mean areas of SF and VF in men and women in this study were similar to the values in white populations. Women had significan tly less VF than men, Gender differences were observed in the contribu tion of fat areas to anthropometric, hormonal, and metabolic variables . In general, in men, total fat (TF) area showed significant independe nt correlation with body mass index (BMI), WHR, and total cholesterol, and VF correlated with insulin secretion. In women, TF and BMI were c orrelated and SF showed a correlation with total cholesterol. Insulin secretion in women did not show a correlation with fat areas. Copyrigh t (C) 1997 by W.B. Saunders Company.