1. ¹Fukuoka Health Promotion Foundation, Fukuoka, Japan
2. ²Department of Medicine and Biosystemic Science, Fukuoka, Japan
3. ³Institute of Health Science, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka, Japan

Correspondence: H Ito, Department of Medicine and Biosystemic Science, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Maidashi 3-1-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan. E-mail: h_ito@intmed1.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp

Received 25 April 2003; Revised 30 July 2003; Accepted 24 September 2003; Published online 11 November 2003.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship of fat mass (FM) and its distribution to hypertension and dyslipidemia in normal-weight Japanese individuals.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.

SUBJECTS: Apparently healthy Japanese subjects with a body mass index (BMI) between 20 and 23.5 kg/m² (265 males and 741 females, age 21–69 y).

MEASUREMENTS: BMI, waist circumference (WC), waist-hip ratio (WHR), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglyceride (TG) were measured. Low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) was calculated by the Friedewald formula. Percentage fat mass (%FM) and trunk fat mass–leg fat mass ratio (FM_trunk/FM_legs) were obtained by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

RESULTS: WC, WHR, %FM and FM_trunk/FM_legs were significantly correlated with TC, LDL-C, HDL-C and TG with the tendency of FM_trunk/FM_legs to show the strongest correlations. For %FM and FM_trunk/FM_legs in both sexes, odds ratios (ORs) of the third tertiles with respect to the first tertiles increased for LDL-C elevation, TG elevation and dyslipidemia. In males, ORs of the third tertiles of WC were significantly high for LDL-C elevation and dyslipidemia whereas those of WHR were high for TG elevation and dyslipidemia. ORs of the third tertiles of WC and WHR were significantly high for TG elevation in females. BMI was not associated with the risk of abnormal lipid levels. ORs for hypertension showed significant increases in none of the variables of obesity.

CONCLUSIONS: Excess accumulation of FM, especially to the upper body, was related to dyslipidemia in normal-weight subjects. Simple anthropometric variables, WC and WHR, may be useful for screening and management of dyslipidemia in these subjects.