RISK-FACTORS IN OBESE WOMEN, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO VISCERAL FAT COMPONENT

Possible associations between increased visceral fat component and ser um lipid concentrations, glucose tolerance and insulinaemia (specific radioimmunoassay) were studied as risk factors for cardiovascular dise ase in 50 adult obese women without known diabetes and 11 lean normal women. Visceral abdominal fat areas were evaluated by computed tomogra phy and ''true'' insulin concentrations. Diabetes was observed in 6 ob ese women (12 %) and impaired glucose tolerance in 13 (26 %). In obese women, visceral fat area correlated significantly with VLDL-cholester ol, triglycerides, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure, whereas subcutaneous area correlated negatively with cholesterol and LDL-chole sterol. Insulinaemia was not increased in visceral obesity nor correla ted with other risk factors. An association between increased visceral fat accumulation, dyslipidaemia and increased diastolic blood pressur e was observed, but no significant correlations were noted between fas ting << true >> insulin or insulin response on an oral glucose toleran ce test and intra-abdominal far areas or dyslipidemia. The gender of t he patients could have been an important factor in these last observat ions.