Cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between abdominal fat depots and cardiometabolic risk in a sample of Mexican adolescents.

Abstract

Background: The relationship between abdominal fat depots and cardiometabolic risk among youth is inconclusive due to the cross-sectional nature of existing studies and limitations in assessment methods. In this study, we examined cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) with cardiometabolic risk indicators among Mexican adolescents.

Methods: Participants (n = 169 at baseline and 134 at follow-up) were assessed for diastolic or systolic blood pressure (DBP or SBP), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides, glucose, and insulin. VAT and SAT were measured using magnetic resonance imaging. Measures were repeated at 1-year follow-up. Using multilevel linear regression models, the associations among fat depots and cardiometabolic risk indicators were examined.

Results: At baseline, SAT measures were cross-sectional and positively associated with glucose, insulin, TC, triglycerides, SBP, and BDP in boys, and DBP in girls, but negatively with HDL-C. VAT measures were cross-sectional and positively associated with glucose, insulin, and SBP and DBP in boys. VAT at L1-L2 was longitudinal and positively associated with insulin, TC, LDL-C, and DBP in boys.

Conclusions: Higher levels of SAT and increases in VAT during adolescence may be particularly detrimental to cardiometabolic health, contributing to an increased risk of future diseases. Future intervention and treatment strategies should target VAT to reduce disease risk in this population.