Association between adipose deposition and mortality among adults without major cardiovascular risk factors

Aim

To examine the association between adiposity and mortality in U.S. adults without major cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods

We analyzed 7,948 adults (4,123 women, 3,825 men) aged > 20 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2003–2004, 2011–2016). Participants with cardiovascular disease, estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 ml/min/1.73m², diabetes, hypertension, or pregnancy were excluded. Adiposity measures, assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry or anthropometrics, included android and gynoid fat mass index (FMI), android-to-gynoid ratio, subcutaneous, abdominal, and visceral FMI, BMI, and waist circumference. We employed multivariable-adjusted Cox regression and restricted cubic spline models to assess sex-specific associations between adiposity measures and all-cause mortality.

Results

Over a median follow-up of 7.8 years, there were 83 deaths among women and 119 among men. In women, BMI, waist circumference, and gynoid FMI showed non-linear associations with all-cause mortality, while in men, BMI, waist circumference, and android-to-gynoid ratio demonstrated similar non-linear associations. In final adjusted models, a 1-SD increase in visceral, subcutaneous, and abdominal FMI among women was associated with 61 % (HR 1.61, 95 % CI 1.17–2.21), 87 % (HR 1.87, 95 % CI 1.13–3.08), and 89 % (HR 1.89, 95 % CI 1.19–2.99) higher mortality risk, respectively. Women in the lowest tertile of gynoid FMI had an 82 % (HR 1.82, 95 % CI 1.01–3.29) higher mortality risk compared to those in the middle tertile. In final adjusted models, a 1-SD increase in gynoid, android, visceral, subcutaneous, and abdominal FMI among men was associated with 30 % (HR 1.30, 95 % CI 1.02–1.65), 41 % (HR 1.41, 95 % CI 1.09–1.83), 54 % (HR 1.54, 95 % CI 1.04–2.28), 69 % (HR 1.69, 95 % CI 1.25–2.29), and 76 % (HR 1.76, 95 % CI 1.25–2.48) higher mortality risk, respectively. Additionally, men in the middle tertile of android-to-gynoid ratio had a 2.68-fold higher mortality risk compared to the lowest tertile, while men in the highest BMI tertile had an 83 % higher mortality risk compared to the lowest tertile. Sex modified the association between gynoid FMI and mortality (P-interaction = 0.008).

Conclusion

Imaging-based adiposity measures have distinct prognostic value for mortality beyond traditional anthropometrics in adults without cardiovascular risk factors.