Fatima Alcañiz Martín, Elena Arenal Ferreira, Valle Martínez Martínez, Laura Gómez Paredes, Juan Muñoz Gutiérrez, María Cristina Pérez Herreras
Introduction. Obesity, increased waist circumference and elevated visceral fat are positively correlated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, in contrast to Mediterranean Diet. Objective: To analyze the association between increased waist circumference (WC), visceral fat (VF), body mass index (BMI), age, sex, total cholesterol, total fat percentage, muscle mass and adherence to a Mediterranean Diet.
Methods. 566 office workers with increased WC (WHO criteria) were included in this multicentre, cross-sectional observational study, when they attended to their job-specific health checkup in Madrid (2023). BMI and body fat distribution (VF, total fat and muscle mass) was obtained using bioimpedance (TANITA™). Sex, age, waist circumference, total cholesterol and PREDIMED questionnaire (adherence to Mediterranean diet) were also collected.
Results. 95.3% of the employees were obese or overweight (BMI). 76.3% had increased TF or were in the obese range. 63% had medium or low adherence to the Mediterranean diet. 50.5% had normal visceral fat. 51.2% had normal cholesterol levels. High VF showed a statistically significant association (P<0.001) with BMI ≥30 (obesity).Being male was associated to greater obesity (P<0.001), high VF (P<0.001) and lower adherence to the Mediterranean diet (P<0.03).Being a woman was associated to high TF (P<0.001).A low adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated to more VF (P<0.017).
Conclusions.Individual CVR prediction can be completed by clinicians using tools like bioimpedance that considers sex, VF, TF, in addition to BMI and WC.