BACKGROUND: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common condition in males over 40 years old, and the incidence of BPH has a tendency to increase with age. Obesity is state of excessive accumulation of fat in the body that leads to changes in the body's metabolism and endocrine function. Therefore, progression of BPH occurs in the obese state according to many articles. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of obesity indices which correlate with prostate volume. METHODS: The study was carried out in 285 males, who visited a health promotion center and underwent transrectal ultrasonography and abdominal fat computed tomography from April, 2010 to June, 2013. Anthropometric parameters were measured directly and blood samples were obtained in the morning after over eight hours of fasting. The correlation between obesity indices and prostate volume was analyzed. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, prostate volume was positively correlated with BMI (r=0.227, P<0.001), waist circumference (WC) (r=0.151, P=0.011), waist to height ratio (WHtR) (r=0.149, P=0.012), and visceral fat area (VFA) (r=0.157, P=0.008). However prostate volume showed no correlation with subcutaneous fat area (SFA) and visceral to subcutaneous ratio (VSR). WHtR had the largest area under the curve (AUC) for the identification of prostate volume more than 30 mL (AUC=0.595, P=0.017) followed by VFA and BMI in order. CONCLUSION: Prostate volume was positively correlated with BMI, WC, WHtR, and VFA among the obesity indices and WHtR had the largest AUC followed by VFA and BMI in order.
Abdominal Fat ; Area Under Curve ; Fasting ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intra-Abdominal Fat ; Male ; Metabolism ; Obesity ; Prostate ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; Subcutaneous Fat ; Ultrasonography ; Waist Circumference

BACKGROUND: Visceral fat accumulation plays a major role in metabolic syndrome and increased cardiovascular risks. Clinical evaluation of visceral fat by CT is not widely used because of high cost, low availability, and ionizing radiation risk, and alternative means are required. To assess the usefulness of ultrasound measurement of I-A fat distance for the evaluation of visceral obesity, we compared several length-associated parameters (I-A fat distance, I-A fat distance to thigh muscle length ratio, and I-A fat distance to abdominal subcutaneous fat length ratio) with area-associated parameters (VAT, visceral fat to subcutaneous fat area ratio [VSR] and VMR) measured by CT. METHODS: We evaluated 65 patients with type 2 diabetes (34 men and 31 postmenopausal women). CT scans were obtained at the L4-5 level and the mid-portion between greater trochanter and upper margin patella. I-A fat distance was defined as the distance between the internal face of rectus muscle and the anterior wall of the aorta. Also ultrasonography for measurement of I-A fat distance was performed in 20 men of subjects. RESULTS: Of the various parameters examined, I-A fat distance was most closely correlated with the VAT (r=0.76, p<0.001) and VMR (r=0.71, p<0.001) but not VSR (r=0.18, p=0.22). This distance positively correlated with serum triglyceride and free fatty acids in men (r=0.56 and r=0.59, p<0.05, respectively), and with uric acid (r=0.70, p<0.05), fasting insulin levels (r=0.70, p<0.001), insulin resistance index by HOMA (r=0.69, p<0.001), systolic blood pressure (SBP) (r=0.73, p<0.05), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (r=0.85, p<0.001) in women. When the clinical and laboratory data was considered by tertiles of I-A distance, serum uric acid, fasting insulin levels, insulin resistance index (HOMA), BMI, waist or hip circumference, SBP, and DBP were significantly higher in the top tertile, but not WHR. I-A fat distance measured by ultrasonography significantly correlated with VAT, VSR, and VMR (r=0.79, r=0.71, and r=0.79, p<0.05, respectively). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that 1) I-A fat distance may substitute for the VAT in assessment of visceral fat content and may be relatively good parameter indicative of visceral obesity and/or insulin resistance, and 2) several parameters (e.g., VAT, VSR, and VMR) related with visceral fat by CT may be replaced with ultrasonographic I-A fat distance.
Aorta ; Blood Pressure ; Fasting ; Fatty Acids, Nonesterified ; Female ; Femur ; Hip ; Humans ; Insulin ; Insulin Resistance ; Intra-Abdominal Fat* ; Male ; Muscle, Skeletal* ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Patella ; Radiation, Ionizing ; Subcutaneous Fat ; Subcutaneous Fat, Abdominal ; Thigh ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Triglycerides ; Ultrasonography ; Uric Acid

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate associations of central obesity with sexual maturation and metabolic parameters in Korean girls with precocious puberty. METHODS: This retrospective study evaluated data from 72 girls under 8 years of age with a chief complaint of early breast development. The patients were categorized as central precocious puberty (CPP) subjects or non-CPP subjects based on their gonadotropin-releasing hormone stimulation test results. Visceral fat thickness (VFT) was measured using ultrasonography and defined as the distance from the linea alba to the aorta. Patient anthropometric, metabolic, and hormonal parameters were also evaluated. RESULTS: Increased VFT was correlated with an earlier onset of thelarche among all study subjects (r=-0.307, P=0.034). Overweight CPP subjects showed higher insulin resistance than normal weight CPP subjects. Insulin resistance was not significantly different between overweight and normal weight non-CPP subjects. VFT was not significantly different between CPP and non-CPP subjects (2.22±0.79 cm vs. 2.74±1.47 cm, P=0.169). However, overweight and obese CPP subjects (body mass index percentile>85%) had lower VFT than non-CPP obese subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Central obesity, defined using ultrasonography-measured VFT, might be associated with early pubertal development in Korean girls. However, VFT was not higher in CPP than non-CPP patients and was not significantly correlated with insulin resistance. Further longitudinal studies with a larger cohort are needed.
Aorta ; Breast ; Cohort Studies ; Female* ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Humans ; Insulin Resistance ; Intra-Abdominal Fat* ; Longitudinal Studies ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Overweight ; Puberty, Precocious* ; Retrospective Studies ; Sexual Maturation ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: Abdominal obesity is a fundamental factor underlying the development of metabolic syndrome. Because of radiation exposure and cost, computed tomography or dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry to evaluate abdominal adiposity are not appropriate in children. Authors evaluated whether ultrasound results could be an indicator of insulin resistance and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS: We enrolled 73 subjects (aged 6-16 years) who were evaluated abdominal adiposity by ultrasound. Subcutaneous fat thickness was defined as the measurement from the skin-fat interface to the linea alba, and visceral fat thickness (VFT) was defined as the thickness from the linea alba to the aorta. Anthropometric and biochemical metabolic parameters were also collected and compared. The subjects who met 2 criteria, radiologic confirmed fatty liver and alanine aminotransferase >40, were diagnosed with NAFLD. RESULTS: There was a strong positive correlation between VFT and obesity. VFT was highly correlated with the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance score (r=0.403, P<0.001). The area under the curve for VFT as a predictor of NAFLD was 0.875 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.787-0.964). VFT of 34.3 mm was found to be the discriminating cutoff for NAFLD (sensitivity, 84.6%; specificity, 71.2%, respectively). CONCLUSION: Ultrasound could be useful in measuring VFT and assessing abdominal adiposity in children. Moreover, increased VFT might be an appropriate prognostic factor for insulin resistance and NAFLD.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Adiposity ; Alanine Transaminase ; Aorta ; Child ; Fatty Liver ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Insulin Resistance ; Intra-Abdominal Fat* ; Liver* ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ; Obesity ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Radiation Exposure ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Subcutaneous Fat ; Ultrasonography*

PURPOSE: Abdominal obesity is a fundamental factor underlying the development of metabolic syndrome. Because of radiation exposure and cost, computed tomography or dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry to evaluate abdominal adiposity are not appropriate in children. Authors evaluated whether ultrasound results could be an indicator of insulin resistance and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS: We enrolled 73 subjects (aged 6-16 years) who were evaluated abdominal adiposity by ultrasound. Subcutaneous fat thickness was defined as the measurement from the skin-fat interface to the linea alba, and visceral fat thickness (VFT) was defined as the thickness from the linea alba to the aorta. Anthropometric and biochemical metabolic parameters were also collected and compared. The subjects who met 2 criteria, radiologic confirmed fatty liver and alanine aminotransferase >40, were diagnosed with NAFLD. RESULTS: There was a strong positive correlation between VFT and obesity. VFT was highly correlated with the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance score (r=0.403, P<0.001). The area under the curve for VFT as a predictor of NAFLD was 0.875 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.787-0.964). VFT of 34.3 mm was found to be the discriminating cutoff for NAFLD (sensitivity, 84.6%; specificity, 71.2%, respectively). CONCLUSION: Ultrasound could be useful in measuring VFT and assessing abdominal adiposity in children. Moreover, increased VFT might be an appropriate prognostic factor for insulin resistance and NAFLD.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Adiposity ; Alanine Transaminase ; Aorta ; Child ; Fatty Liver ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Insulin Resistance ; Intra-Abdominal Fat* ; Liver* ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ; Obesity ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Radiation Exposure ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Subcutaneous Fat ; Ultrasonography*

BACKGROUND: Visceral obesity is known as an independent risk factor of cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of ultrasonographic-determined visceral fat thickness and other parameters of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and risk factors of cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes. METHODS: A total of 191 type 2 diabetic patients (101 men and 90 women) participated in this study. Anthropometric, clinical, and laboratory data including the body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure and lipid profiles were measured. Insulin resistance was calculated by using the homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). The visceral fat thickness was measured by abdominal ultrasonography at 1 cm above the umbilicus. RESULTS: The visceral fat thickness was positively correlated with the body mass index (p<0.001), waist circumference (p<0.001), fat mass (p<0.001), fat distribution (p<0.001), and HOMA-IR (p<0.05), whereas it was negatively correlated with theHDL-cholesterol level (p<0.05). The visceral fat thickness was better correlated with the presence of metabolic syndrome than with the subcutaneous fat thickness. The highest tertile of visceral fat thickness had a higher odds ratio for hypertension (OR=4.02, 95% CI 1.08~14.98), dyslipidemia (OR=9.64, 95% CI 1.08~85.37), and metabolic syndrome (OR=11.35, 95% CI 1.34~96.00) than did those in the lowest tertile, after adjustment for age, sex, and body mass index. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study show that the measurement of abdominal visceral fat thickness using abdominal ultrasonography can be used as a reliable method to identify the risk for metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetic patients.
Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Dyslipidemias ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Insulin Resistance ; Intra-Abdominal Fat* ; Male ; Obesity ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Odds Ratio ; Risk Factors* ; Subcutaneous Fat ; Ultrasonography ; Umbilicus ; Waist Circumference

Recent data suggest that subclinical atherosclerosis is more related to visceral adipose tissue distribution than to overall fat mass. Both perirenal fat and epicardial fat are visceral fat depots surrounding the kidneys and the myocardium, respectively, which can be easily assessed by ultrasound. Their clinical relevance in children is largely unknown. This review describes studies relating perirenal and epicardial fat to cardiovascular disease or carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), a well-established surrogate for subclinical atherosclerosis, and discusses this in context with our own data from children. In adults, both perirenal and epicardial fat are useful biological markers of visceral obesity. The former has been related to hypertension in overweight subjects and with atherosclerosis in patients with human immunodeficiency virus. The latter was associated with several metabolic syndrome components and with calcification of the carotid artery. In healthy prepubertal children, both epicardial and perirenal fat thickness, rather than total body fat mass, were related to cIMT. Ultrasonography measures of perirenal and epicardial fat are related to atherosclerosis in adults and may be convenient tools for the assessment of cardiometabolic risk in children.
Adipose Tissue ; Adult ; Atherosclerosis ; Biomarkers ; Body Fat Distribution ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Carotid Arteries ; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness ; Child ; HIV ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Intra-Abdominal Fat ; Kidney ; Myocardium ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Overweight ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate obesity, a risk factor of metabolic syndrome, and its association with prostatic enlargement in a retrospective cohort in Korea. METHODS: Baseline data were obtained from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study on Atherosclerosis Risk of Rural Areas in the Korean General Population (KoGES-ARIRANG). Between March 2015 and November 2015, 2,127 male participants of KoGES-ARIRANG were invited to the Korean Prostate Health Council Screening Program, and 602 participants underwent urological examination, including serum prostate specific antigen measurement and transrectal ultrasonography, and completed the International Prostate Symptom Score questionnaire. The data for 571 participants were analyzed, after excluding 31 men who had a history of prostatic disease or testosterone replacement, or had undergone a prior prostatic surgery or procedure. RESULTS: Among components of metabolic syndrome, waist circumference had a statistically significant linear correlation with incremental increases in prostate volume (B=0.181, P=0.004). Abdominal obesity as determined by anthropometric measures including body mass index (odds ratio [OR], 1.205; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.088–1.336), waist circumference (OR, 1.073; 95% CI, 1.032–1.115), body fat (OR, 1.126; 95% CI, 1.056–1.202), and visceral fat composition (OR, 1.667; 95% CI, 1.246–2.232) was significantly associated with the presence of high-volume benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) (prostate volume≥ 40 mL). Furthermore, the highest quartile of serum leptin (OR, 3.541; 95% CI, 1.103–11.365) and adiponectin levels (OR, 0.315; 95% CI, 0.102–0.971) were significantly correlated with high-volume BPH compared to the lowest quartile of levels. CONCLUSIONS: Abdominal obesity and serum leptin level are positively associated with prostate growth, whereas serum adiponectin level is inversely associated with the presence of prostatic enlargement.
Adiponectin ; Adipose Tissue ; Atherosclerosis ; Body Mass Index ; Cohort Studies* ; Epidemiology ; Genome ; Humans ; Intra-Abdominal Fat ; Korea* ; Leptin ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Obesity* ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Prostate ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatic Diseases ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; Retrospective Studies* ; Risk Factors* ; Testosterone ; Ultrasonography ; Waist Circumference

BACKGROUND: Visceral obesity is the most powerful contributor to the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and cardiovascular diseases. In light of visceral obesity, however, there is a paucity of data on the appropriate cutoff point of waist circumference (WC) in subjects with type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to investigate the optimal cutoff value for WC that signals insulin resistance (IR) and visceral obesity in Koreans with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: We evaluated 4,252 patients with type 2 diabetes (male 2,220, female 2,032, mean age 57.24 years) who visited our clinic between January 2003 and June 2009. WC was measured at the midpoint between the lower rib and the iliac crest, and insulin sensitivity was assessed by the rate constant of plasma glucose disappearance (Kitt %/min) using an insulin tolerance test. Visceral fat thickness was measured using ultrasonography. Statistical analysis was performed using receiver operating characteristic curve. RESULTS: The optimal cutoff points for WC for identifying the presence of IR and visceral obesity, as well as two or more metabolic components, were 87 cm for men and 81 cm for women. Moreover, these cutoff points had the highest predictive powers for the presence of visceral obesity. The MetS defined by new criteria correlated with the increased carotid intima-media thickness in female subjects. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the optimal cutoff values for WC in Koreans with type 2 diabetes should be reestablished based on IR and visceral obesity.
Blood Glucose ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Female ; Humans ; Insulin ; Insulin Resistance* ; Intra-Abdominal Fat ; Male ; Obesity, Abdominal* ; Ribs ; ROC Curve ; Ultrasonography ; Waist Circumference*

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of morbidity and mortality. It is well known that androgen and sex hormone-binding globulin(SHBG) in women were associated with risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as obesity, central fat accumulation and atherogenic lipid profile. High resolution B-mode ultrasonography can visualize directly both luminal and vessel wall characteristics, and ultrasonic measurement of carotid intima-medial thickness(IMT) can be used to investigate the atherosclerosis of coronary, cerebral and peripheral arteries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate(DHEA-S) and SHBG, and body fat distribution pattern, cardiovascular risk factor and carotid atherosclerosis in women. METHODS: Blood pressure, fasting serum glucose, insulin, lipid profile, SHBG and DHEA-S were measured. Body fat distribution pattern was assessed by waist to hip ratio, waist to thigh ratio and subscapular to triceps skin fold thickness ratio, faf mass measured by bioelectric impedance analyzer, subcutaneous fat area, visceral fat area, and visceral to subcutaneous fat area ratio(VSR) at the level of umbilicus using the computed tomography. The IMT of the carotid artery was measured by high resolution B mode ultrasound as a marker of atherosclerosis. RESULTS: 1) There was no significant difference of age-adjusted values of carotid IMT among subjects with NGT(0.426+/-0.09mm), IGT(0.46+/-10.09mm) and NIDDM(0.453+/-0.11mm). 2) In postrnenopausal women, carotid IMT was greater(0.484+/-0.11mm, p=0.05) than premenopausal women(0.426+/-0.08mm), but it was not significant after age adjustment. Serum SHBG and DHEA-S levels in postmenopausal women were significantly lower(p<0.05) than premenopausal women, but they were not significant after age adjustment. 3) Carotid IMT was significantly correlated with age(r=0.37, p<0.01), fasting serum glucose (r=0.32, p<0.01), total cholesterol(r= 0.25, p<0.05), LDL-cholesterol(r=0.26, p<0.05), visceral fat area(r=0.35, p<0.01) and VSR(r=0.31, p<0.05). 4) By the stepwise multiple regression analysis, carotid IMT was positively and significantly associated with age(p<0.01) and serum DHEA-S concentration(p<0.05) in dent of age, body mass index, waist to hip ratio, fasting serum glucose. CONCLUSION: Carotid IMT was associated with age and serum DHEA-S concentration in women without cardiovascular disease. Therefore, serum DHEA-S may be one of risk factors for cardiovascular disease in women. However, we could not conclude its cause-result relationship because of cross sectional nature of our study, and prospective study will be needed.
Arteries ; Atherosclerosis ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; Body Fat Distribution ; Body Mass Index ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Carotid Arteries ; Carotid Artery Diseases* ; Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate* ; Dehydroepiandrosterone* ; Electric Impedance ; Fasting ; Female ; Humans ; Insulin ; Intra-Abdominal Fat ; Mortality ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Phenobarbital ; Risk Factors ; Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin* ; Skin ; Subcutaneous Fat ; Thigh ; Ultrasonics ; Ultrasonography ; Umbilicus ; Waist-Hip Ratio