Correlations Between Measures of Adiposity, Visceral Fat, and Adipokines in a Cohort of Latina/Latinx Women

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

10-22-2025

Publication Title

J Endocr Soc

Keywords

adipocytokine, adiponectin, C reactive protein, insulin, interleukin 6, leptin, tumor necrosis factor, adult, age, anthropometry, bioelectrical impedance analysis, blood sampling, body composition, body fat, body mass, chi square distribution, cohort analysis, conference abstract, controlled study, cross-sectional study, drug therapy, ELISA kit, female, Hispanic, human, inflammation, intra-abdominal fat, leiomyoma, major clinical study, male, obesity

Abstract

While body mass index (BMI) is a commonly used measure of adiposity, existing research suggests it has poor sensitivity in identifying excess adiposity and underestimates body fat in different age, sex, and ethnic groups. We aimed to investigate the link between adiposity measures and their association with adipokines and inflammatory markers in a large cohort of reproductive-aged Latina/ Latinx women. This cross-sectional study used data from the Environment, Leiomyomas, Latinas, and Adiposity Study (ELLAS), a prospective longitudinal cohort study following Latina/Latinx females for 5 years. Data from the first study visit were used for analysis. Assessment included anthropometrics, body composition measurement using bioelectrical impedance analysis (Tanita MC-280U), and blood draws. IL-6, TNF-a, insulin, and leptin were measured using a Millipore Sigma MILLIPLEX® Assay on a Luminex200TM instrument. C-reactive protein (CRP) and adiponectin were measured using ELISA kits. The relationship between BMI, % body fat, and visceral fat rating (VFR) was evaluated using Chi-square test and Regression model with adjusted r-square selection method. Multi-variable linear regression analysis models were constructed to determine the relationship between BMI, CRP, and adipokine levels. of 621 participants who completed the first study visit, 618 had data on BMI, % body fat, and adipokines. The average age was 37.5±7.0 years and BMI was 30.1±6.8 kg/m2', with 42.7% classified as having obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2') and 87.2% having an estimated total body fat >30%. BMI was significantly correlated with % body fat (0.86, p <.001), and in 99.2% of cases, women with a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2' also had >30% body fat. However, among those with ≥30% body fat, only 42.6% had a BMI ≥30 kg/m2'-a highly significant difference (p<.001). While both BMI and % body fat predicted VFR well, BMI was a better predictor (R2=0.809, AIC 475.89 vs R2=0.791, AIC 533.47). BMI, % body fat, and VFR all had positive associations with CRP (0.312, p<.0001; 0.255, p<.001; 0.140, p<.001) and leptin (0.001, p <.001; 0.001, p<.001; 0.0004, p<.001). All three measures of obesity were negatively associated with adiponectin (-1.62e-4, p<.001; -1.07e-4, p=.024; -4.99e-5, p=.032). Only BMI had a significant relationship with IL-6 (-0.018, p=.037). Consistent with existing literature, our study found that BMI did not identify most Latina/Latinx participants with body fat >30% as having obesity. Contrary to prior literature, BMI was a better predictor of visceral fat than % body fat and had associations with CRP, adiponectin, and IL-6. Among Latina/Latinx women, BMI may be an appropriate risk indicator for visceral fat and bioactive adipose even if it underestimates adiposity as measured by % body fat. Further research is needed to understand how standardized measures of adiposity and obesity perform across diverse racial and ethnic groups.

Volume

9

First Page

A97

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