Association Between Percent Body Fat and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Normal Weight Korean Adults

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Obesity is associated with metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk factors. We examined metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk factors by percent body fat difference in adult with normal weight adults. METHODS: We analysed 353 subjects whose body mass index (BMI) were between 18.5 and 23 kg/m2. They were examined in a health promotion center of a general hospital from Jan. to Dec. 2009. Age, gender, height, weight, BMI, waist circumference (WC), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), fasting blood sugar (FBS), hemoglobin A1C, lipid profiles, fat free mass, lean body mass, body fat mass, percent body fat (%BF) were checked. Subjects were divided into two groups according to their %BF by 25% in men, 30% in women and analysed about metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk factors. RESULTS: The average age was 47.30+/-10.83 years old, and BMI was 21.75+/-1.32 kg/m2, %BF was 22.92+/-5.53% in men, 26.67+/-6.32% in women. High %BF group showed increased BMI, WC, SBP, DBP, serum FBS, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and body fat mass decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fat free mass and lean body mass. High %BF group showed increased frequency of metabolic syndrome components, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Diabetes was increased in high %BF group of women. The result of binary logistic regression analysis with age adjusted, metabolic syndrome, hypertension and hyperlipidemia was related with %BF in men, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia was related with %BF in women. CONCLUSIONS: High %BF was associated with metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk factors like hypertension, dyslipidemia in both men and women with normal weight. But, high %BF was associated with diabetes in only women in this study.