Cut-off Value of Visceral Fat Area at Risk of Obesity-related Disorders in Korean Adult Population

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Recently, obesity has become an important health problem in Korea. In 2000, the WHO Western Pacific Region recommended an obesity diagnostic criteria for Asian population. But among Asians, each ethnic group had their own anthrometric characteristics and so it was difficult to apply the same criteria to different ethnic groups. Thus, the aim of this study was to study the appropriate cut-off value of visceral fat area (VFA) and waist circumference (WC) which increases the risk of obesity-related disorders and to validate the diagnostic criteria of abdominal obesity and metabolic syndrome in Korean adult population. METHODS: A total of 278 of subjects (101 men and 177 women) were included for this study. The subjects were selected among Korean adults who visited the Department of Family Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital from January 1999 to August 2005. Three obesity-related disorders were defined to hypertension, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia. RESULTS: The cut-off value of visceral fat area which increased the risk of obesity-related disorders by ROC curve was 114.3 cm2 (sensitivity 76.3%, specificity 65.9%, P<0.005), and the waist circumference corresponding to a VFA of 114.3 cm2 by simple regression analysis was 74.2 cm in men and 87.37 cm in women (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this study, the visceral fat area which increased the risk of obesity-related disorders was 114.3 cm2 and the WC corresponding to this VFA was 74.2 cm in men and 87.37 cm in women. For appropriate diagnostic criteria of abdominal obesity and metabolic syndrome in Korean adult population, further studies are required.