Associations of visceral fat,physical activity and muscle strength with the metabolic syndrome

Objective

We investigated the association of visceral fat with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its separate components; the associations of both physical activity and muscle strength with the MetS and its separate components independent of visceral fat. Furthermore, we studied these associations within participants with low and high amounts of visceral fat.

Study design

400 men (aged 40–80 years) were recruited into a cross-sectional study.Main outcome measures: Logistic regression models were used to study the individual associations in all participants (OR). The associations of physical activity (active vs inactive) and muscle strength (high vs low) within participants with low and high levels of visceral fat (assessed by ultrasonography) were tested using Univariate Analysis of Variance (difference in mean levels of the separate components of MetS) and logistic regression (risk on MetS).

Results

High levels of visceral fat were significantly associated with increased risk of MetS (OR 1.7 95%CI 1.5;1.9) and its separate components (p < 0.05). We did not find strong individual associations for physical activity or muscle strength, neither within men with low or high levels of visceral fat.

Conclusions

High body fat levels were associated with an unhealthier metabolic risk profile and a higher risk of the MetS. Our cross-sectional data do not indicate associations for physical activity or for muscle strength with the MetS independent of visceral fat. Also no differential associations of physical activity or muscle strength in men with low or high levels of visceral fat were found.