Visceral fat is an independent predictor of all-cause mortality in men.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Case-control study nested in a clinic cohort comparing decedents to living controls
PubMed 16571861 · doi:10.1038/oby.2006.43
What was done
A case-control study evaluated 291 men (97 decedents and 194 controls; mean age 56.4 ± 12.0 years) who underwent computed tomography (CT) at a preventive medicine clinic in Dallas, Texas, between 1995 and 1999, with a mean follow-up of 2.2 ± 1.3 years. Abdominal visceral and subcutaneous fat were measured using contiguous CT scans from L3-L4 to L4-L5. Liver fat was assessed via CT-determined liver attenuation values (inversely related to liver fat). Logistic regression was used to evaluate independent associations between fat depots and all-cause mortality.
What was found
In separate models adjusted for age and length of follow-up, all-cause mortality was significantly associated with: - Visceral fat: OR per SD 1.83 (95% CI: 1.23 to 2.73) - Abdominal subcutaneous fat: OR 1.44 (95% CI: 1.02 to 2.03) - Liver fat / attenuation: OR 0.64 (95% CI: 0.46 to 0.87) - Waist circumference: OR 1.41 (95% CI: 1.01 to 1.98) In a combined model including subcutaneous, visceral, and liver fat along with age and follow-up length, only visceral fat remained a significant predictor of mortality (OR 1.93 per SD; 95% CI: 1.15 to 3.23).
Why it matters
The findings demonstrate that visceral fat specifically, rather than subcutaneous or hepatic adipose tissue, accounts for the excess mortality risk associated with abdominal adiposity in men.
Limits
The study was restricted to men from a single preventive medicine clinic, limiting generalizability to women and the broader population. Follow-up was short (mean 2.2 years), sample size was modest (291 participants, 97 deaths), and the abstract does not report adjustment for major potential confounders such as smoking status, alcohol intake, or baseline chronic disease.
Cited by
- supports Having high visceral fat doubles the risk of early mortality.