The association between the ratio of visceral fat to thigh muscle area and metabolic syndrome: The Korean Sarcopenic Obesity Study (KSOS)

Objective- A relationship between visceral fat accumulation and metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been established. However, the effect of a relative increase in visceral fat and a decrease in muscle mass on metabolic disorders has not been investigated. The aim of the present study was to examine the association between the ratio of visceral fat to thigh muscle area (VMR) and MetS in Korean adults. Study subject/measurements- A total of 264 age-and gender-matched subjects recruited from the Korean Sarcopenic Obesity Study (KSOS), an ongoing prospective observational cohort study, were categorized into four groups based on their body mass index (BMI) and VMR. We measured visceral fat area and thigh muscle area using computed tomography. Results- Subjects with MetS showed a significantly higher VMR than those without MetS. In both obese and nonobese groups, the subjects with a higher VMR had a higher prevalence of MetS than those in the lower VMR groups. VMR was significantly related to components of the metabolic syndrome, especially in women, and was positively correlated with a number of MetS components in both men and women. In multiple logistic regression analysis, the odds ratio for MetS was 6•72 (highest vs lowest quartile, 95% confidence interval, 1•60-28•14) after an adjustment of potential confounders, including BMI and waist-to-hip ratio. Conclusion- VMR is significantly increased in subjects with MetS and independently associated with MetS. These results suggest that the VMR may be a potential indicator for MetS risk in Korean adults.