Relationship of intra-abdominal adiposity and peripheral fat distribution to lipid metabolism in an island population in western Japan: Gender differences and effect of menopause

Intra-abdominal adiposity is associated with unfavorable serum lipid profil es thigh total cholesterol; or triacylglycerol, and low high-density lipopr otein cholesterol) in obese people. However, the relation in mainly nonobes e Japanese population is not well known. We examined the relationship betwe en intra-abdominal adiposity measured by ultrasonography and body fat distr ibution with serum lipids in Japanese people living in an island in western Japan. Mainly nonobese healthy individuals (98 men, 72 premenopausal and 1 82 postmenopausal women) aged between 33 and 69 years were examined. accumu lation of intra-abdominal fat (Pmax) and abdominal subcutaneous fat (Smin) was measured by ultrasonography. We also measured triceps and subscapular s kinfold thicknesses, and the concentrations of total cholesterol, triacylgl ycerol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. In men and postmenop ausal women, Pmax correlated significantly with the majority of serum lipid s after adjusting for age, body mass index and smoking habit. In premenopau sal women, Pmax correlated significantly with only total cholesterol, but m arginally with triacylglycerol and HDL/total cholesterol ratio after adjust ment. Our findings suggest that intra-abdominal adiposity is related to unf avorable lipid profile in both genders among mainly nonobese Japanese popul ation.