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USING ULTRASONOGRAPHY TO MEASURE VISCERAL FAT AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE METABOLIC SYNDROME

Abstract

E. Hilberg, W. Repovich, J. Peterson, S. Peterson, & K. Main

Eastern Washington University, Cheney, WA; Linfield College, McMinnville, OR

The metabolic syndrome (MS) is a diagnosis that includes several clinical criteria that indicate a higher than normal risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Central adiposity is considered a risk factor for the MS and is also associated with increased mortality and morbidity. The use of ultrasonography (US) has made it possible to measure the amount of visceral fat (VF) in a cost-effective and non-invasive manner as opposed to computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). PURPOSE: To determine the relationship between the level of VF using US and several MS risk factors, including waist circumference (WC), blood glucose (BG), high-density lipoproteins (HDL), and triglycerides (TG). METHODS: VF levels and MS risk factors were evaluated in 28 participants between the ages of 18-68. A scan of the waist was conducted to determine VF levels by placing the wand 1 cm to the right of the umbilicus and performing a 10 cm scan towards the right hip. WC was measured at the mid-way point between the lower rib and the iliac crest. BG, HDL, and TG were measured using a blood analyzer. Pearson’s Correlations were conducted to determine the relationships between VF and MS risk factors. Partial Pearson’s Correlations were also run to adjust for BMI, age, and sex. All variables were tested with an alpha level of p ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: There were significant, positive correlations between VF levels and WC (r=.706, p

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