Sayaka Kadowaki1, Katsuyuki Miura1,2, Takashi Kadowaki1, Akira Fujiyoshi1, Aiman El-Saed3, Kamal H Masaki4,5, Tomonori Okamura6, Daniel Edmundowicz7, Beatriz L Rodriguez4, Yasuyuki Nakamura8, Emma J M Barinas-Mitchell3, Aya Kadota1,2, Bradley J Willcox2,4,5, Robert D Abbott2, Lewis H Kuller3, Jina Choo9, Chol Shin10, Hirotsugu Ueshima1,2, Akira Sekikawa3. 1. 1 Department of Public Health, Shiga University of Medical Science , Otsu, Japan . 2. 2 Center for Epidemiologic Research in Asia, Shiga University of Medical Science , Otsu, Japan . 3. 3 Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 4. 4 Department of Geriatric Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii , Honolulu, Hawaii. 5. 5 Kuakini Medical Center , Honolulu, Hawaii. 6. 6 Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, Keio University , Tokyo, Japan . 7. 7 Section of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Temple University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 8. 8 Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture, Ryukoku University , Kyoto, Japan . 9. 9 College of Nursing, Korea University , Seoul, South Korea . 10. 10 Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University Medical Center , Seoul, South Korea .
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Abdominal fat distribution varies across groups with different races or environments. Whether environmental factors, apart from racial differences, affect abdominal fat distribution is unknown. METHODS: We compared the abdominal fat distribution of four groups; different races with similar environments (Caucasians vs. Japanese Americans), different environments with an identical race (Japanese Americans vs. Japanese), and similar races with similar environments (Japanese vs. Koreans). A population-based sample of 1212 men aged 40-49 were analyzed: 307 Caucasians and 300 Japanese Americans in the United States, 310 Japanese in Japan, and 295 Koreans in Korea. We compared the proportion of visceral adipose tissue area to total abdominal adipose tissue area (VAT%) and other factors that can affect abdominal fat distribution (smoking, alcohol use, physical activity levels, and metabolic factors). RESULTS: VAT% was significantly higher in Japanese and Koreans than in Japanese Americans and Caucasians (50.0, 48.5, 43.2, 41.0%, respectively, P < 0.001). Even after adjustment for possible confounders, the significant VAT% difference remained in comparing groups with identical race but different environments (i.e., Japanese vs. Japanese Americans). In contrast, comparing groups with different races but similar environments (i.e., Caucasians vs. Japanese Americans), VAT% was not significantly different. Comparing groups with similar races and similar environments (i.e., Japanese vs. Koreans), VAT% did not significantly differ. CONCLUSIONS: Environmental differences, apart from racial differences, affect the difference in abdominal fat distribution across different groups in middle-aged men.
BACKGROUND: Abdominal fat distribution varies across groups with different races or environments. Whether environmental factors, apart from racial differences, affect abdominal fat distribution is unknown. METHODS: We compared the abdominal fat distribution of four groups; different races with similar environments (Caucasians vs. Japanese Americans), different environments with an identical race (Japanese Americans vs. Japanese), and similar races with similar environments (Japanese vs. Koreans). A population-based sample of 1212 men aged 40-49 were analyzed: 307 Caucasians and 300 Japanese Americans in the United States, 310 Japanese in Japan, and 295 Koreans in Korea. We compared the proportion of visceral adipose tissue area to total abdominal adipose tissue area (VAT%) and other factors that can affect abdominal fat distribution (smoking, alcohol use, physical activity levels, and metabolic factors). RESULTS: VAT% was significantly higher in Japanese and Koreans than in Japanese Americans and Caucasians (50.0, 48.5, 43.2, 41.0%, respectively, P < 0.001). Even after adjustment for possible confounders, the significant VAT% difference remained in comparing groups with identical race but different environments (i.e., Japanese vs. Japanese Americans). In contrast, comparing groups with different races but similar environments (i.e., Caucasians vs. Japanese Americans), VAT% was not significantly different. Comparing groups with similar races and similar environments (i.e., Japanese vs. Koreans), VAT% did not significantly differ. CONCLUSIONS: Environmental differences, apart from racial differences, affect the difference in abdominal fat distribution across different groups in middle-aged men.
Authors: T Kadowaki; A Sekikawa; K Murata; H Maegawa; T Takamiya; T Okamura; A El-Saed; N Miyamatsu; D Edmundowicz; Y Kita; K Sutton-Tyrrell; L H Kuller; H Ueshima Journal: Int J Obes (Lond) Date: 2006-01-31 Impact factor: 5.095
Authors: Koichiro Azuma; Takashi Kadowaki; Cemal Cetinel; Aya Kadota; Aiman El-Saed; Sayaka Kadowaki; Daniel Edmundowicz; Yoshihiko Nishio; Kim Sutton-Tyrrell; Tomonori Okamura; Rhobert W Evans; Tomoko Takamiya; Hirotsugu Ueshima; J David Curb; Robert D Abbott; Lewis H Kuller; David E Kelley; Akira Sekikawa Journal: Metabolism Date: 2009-06-18 Impact factor: 8.694
Authors: Scott A Lear; Karin H Humphries; Simi Kohli; Arun Chockalingam; Jiri J Frohlich; C Laird Birmingham Journal: Am J Clin Nutr Date: 2007-08 Impact factor: 7.045