Visceral fat thickness determined using ultrasonography is associated with anthropometric and clinical parameters of metabolic syndrome

The aim of this study is to find out the relation between the ultrasonographic (USG) measurements of the abdominal fat thickness and cardiovascular risk factors in metabolic syndrome. The thickness of subcutaneous fat (SF), visceral fat (VF) and preperitoneal fat (PF) was measured using USG in 75 subjects (35 women and 40 men) with metabolic syndrome. The body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressures, fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin and lipid parameters of all participants were recorded. Insulin resistance was estimated using HOMA-IR formula. BMI (p < 0.05), WC (p < 0.01), SBP (p < 0.001), DBP (p < 0.05), fasting insulin (p < 0.05), total cholesterol (p < 0.001) and triglyceride (p < 0.001) levels were found in correlation with VF thickness in the female group. There was a positive association between WC and SF thickness (p < 0.05) in the same group. In the male patients, BMI (p < 0.001), WC (p < 0.01), SBP (p < 0.05), DBP (p < 0.05) and triglyceride level (p = 0.01) were significantly correlated with VF thickness. SF thickness was associated with BMI (p < 0.001) and WC (p < 0.01) in this group. There was no relation between PF thickness and clinical variables in both groups (p > 0.05). It can be concluded that VF thickness may have a significant pathophysiological role in the development of the metabolic syndrome.