Visceral Fat, Cardiometabolic Risk and Bone Health in Adults v1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Dual-Energy Xray Absorptiometry (DXA) derived visceral adipose tissue, body composition and bone – the associations with cardiometabolic risk factors to inform risk stratification in adults
IRAS ID
328173
Contact name
MICHELLE SWAINSON
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 6 months, 0 days
Research summary
Overweight and obesity are major public health challenges that increase the risk of cardiometabolic diseases. This risk is linked to more abdominal body fat (visceral adipose tissue; VAT) that sits around our major organs, and emerging work has also linked VAT to poor bone health. Body mass index (BMI) is the most widely used measure of obesity, but it has limited ability to identify body fat levels and distribution and does not predict risk of cardiometabolic disease very well. This study will collect data for cardiometabolic risk factors and use dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans to provide a rapid and detailed assessment of body composition to accurately identify obesity (VAT; body fat; muscle; bone). Although research suggests that elevated VAT is associated with, and a robust predictor of, multiple cardiometabolic risk factors, it is not yet routinely measured, and thresholds have not yet been established to support risk stratification in UK adults.
This study will provide evidence to support the clinical utility of DXA, by primarily establishing VAT thresholds that indicate elevated cardiometabolic risk e.g., what level of VAT is associated with high blood pressure?, and secondly poor bone health e.g., what level of VAT is associated with osteoporosis? The thresholds will be provided to GE Healthcare for incorporation into the CoreScanTM software to assist practitioners in the enhanced assessment of cardiometabolic risk and bone health; to inform when targeted intervention might be warranted; and help develop future interventions.
This single-site study will be conducted at Lancaster University over 2-2.5 years, recruiting at least 1000 participants from the general public. Male and female adults aged 30-70 years, of any ethnicity are eligible to be involved. Participants will complete a health questionnaire, DXA scans and a series of tests to acquire cardiometabolic risk factor data (i.e., blood pressure, cholesterol).REC name
North West - Haydock Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/NW/0083
Date of REC Opinion
1 May 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion