| Abstract | dc.description.abstract | Increased visceral or abdominal adipose tissue in
children and adults is strongly associated with metabolic and a variety of chronic diseases. Aim: To
study the association between visceral or external body measurements of adiposity with blood lipids,
glucose and insulin levels, in obese female adolescents. Material and methods: In a cross-sectional
study, 47 obese female adolescents (body mass index (BMI) >95th percentile) aged 10 to 15 years, were
analyzed. Weight, height, BMI, Tanner pubertal stages, skinfold thickness, waist circumference, waistto-
hip ratio, fasting and 120 min post prandial blood glucose, serum insulin, and lipid profile were
studied. Visceral fat was assessed by computed tomography at the L4-L5 level, measuring the fat area or
the length of a straight drawn line between the spine and the internal border of the rectus abdominus
muscle. Results: No association between lipid profile and BMI or external body measurements
(skinfold thickness, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio) was observed. Total serum cholesterol >170
mg/dL was positively associated with the straight line over 63 mm (a cut-off obtained by ROC analysis
(RR 2.64; 1.15-6.08). This association was statistically significant in girls in Tanner I + II (n =21;
Fisher, p <0.023), but not with Tanner III + IV (n =26) stages. Increased cholesterol (>170 mg/dL) was
also positively associated with a serum insulin >17 uU/mL in the Tanner I + II group (Fisher p<0.05),
but not with the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA). Conclusions: No
external body measurement of adiposity was associated to increased serum cholesterol in these obese
female adolescents. Increased total cholesterol (>170 mg/dL) was associated with visceral fat (evaluated
through the straight line spina-rectus abdominus muscle), and also with a serum insulin >17 uU/ml in
those teenagers with Tanner I or II pubertal stages | en |
