Reference values of body composition parameters and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) by DXA in adults aged 18-81 years-results from the LEAD cohort.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional normative reference study from cohort data
PubMed 32123345 · doi:10.1038/s41430-020-0596-5
What was done
Analyzed GE-Lunar Prodigy DXA scans from 10,894 Austrian adults aged 18 to 81 years recruited between 2011 and 2019 in the population-based LEAD cohort study. The LMS method was used to construct age- and sex-stratified reference curves for fat mass index, lean mass index, appendicular lean mass index, android-to-gynoid ratio, trunk-to-limb fat mass ratio, and visceral adipose tissue mass across fat mass index quantities and BMI categories.
What was found
Central fat accumulation parameters including visceral adipose tissue mass and fat mass ratios were higher in men, whereas other fat mass indices were higher in women. Visceral adipose tissue mass increased across all age groups in both sexes. Lean mass index differed between all fat mass index subgroups and increased with higher fat mass index percentiles and BMI categories across all age groups. No absolute numerical values, means, or percentile cutoffs are reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
Provides large-scale European reference standards for DXA-measured body composition and visceral fat to aid in identifying abnormal fat distribution and sarcopenic phenotypes.
Limits
The abstract provides no exact numerical values, effect sizes, or confidence intervals. The cohort is restricted to a single country, Austrian adults, and measurements were acquired on a single manufacturer platform, limiting direct generalization to other populations or DXA device brands. The cross-sectional design cannot track individual longitudinal trajectories over time.
Cited by
- supports Average visceral fat increases with age, measuring roughly 1.2 pounds in men and 0.5 pounds in women at age 30, 1.7 pounds in men and 0.7 pounds in women at age 40, 2.2 pounds in men and 1.0 pound in women at age 50, and 2.7 pounds in men and 1.54 pounds in women at age 60.