Anatomical Patterning of Visceral Adipose Tissue: Race, Sex, and Age Variation

TLDR

The study examined sex, race, and age differences in visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue distribution. Using 1‑cm thick abdominal MR images from 820 African‑American and white adults, the authors applied repeated‑measures ANOVA to identify each subject’s maximum VAT area. Men had higher total VAT volume and a higher maximum VAT area than women; white men’s maximum VAT area was most often 5–10 cm above L4‑L5, whereas in other groups it was 1–4 cm above L4‑L5; African‑American men exceeded women only in cranial images; age‑related VAT increases were greatest 5–10 cm above L4‑L5 in men and near L4‑L5 in women, indicating that a single MR image 5–10 cm above L4‑L5 may better capture group differences.

Abstract

Abstract Objective: We tested sex, race, and age differences in the patterning of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue. Research Methods and Procedures: Contiguous 1‐cm‐thick magnetic resonance (MR) images of the abdomen were collected from 820 African‐American and white adults. Repeated‐measures ANOVA was used to examine the effects of image location, sex, race, and age (≥50 vs. <50 years) on adipose tissue areas. Maximum VAT area was identified for each subject from the raw data. Results: Compared to women, men had greater total VAT volume ( p < 0.0001), and their maximum VAT area occurred higher in the abdomen ( p < 0.0001). Among white men, maximim VAT area most frequently occurred 5 to 10 cm above L4‐L5, whereas in the other groups, maximim VAT area most frequently occurred 1 to 4 cm above L4‐L5 ( p < 0.0001). African‐American men had greater total VAT volume than African‐American women ( p < 0.01), but this sex difference was only significant using single images cranial to L4‐L5 + 2 cm. Age‐related increases in VAT tended to be greatest 5 to 10 cm above L4‐L5 in men and near L4‐L5 in women. Discussion: A single MR image 5 to 10 cm above L4‐L5 may allow more accurate conclusions than the L4‐L5 image regarding group differences in visceral adiposity.