Biomedical subjects

Robert Ross

Publications and source records attributed to Robert Ross.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

New clinical imaging modalities in prostate cancer.

In all prostate cancer disease states, exciting novel imaging technology is being tested that may affect the future care of our patients. New US, MRI, and nuclear medicine techniques are improving both the ability to stage patients and to follow treatment-related changes. See Table 3 for a summary of these novel imaging techniques. Important issues still need to be resolved, including standardizing patient populations within trials, demonstrating the reproducibility of these techniques between different centers, and understanding how information gained from these techniques should influence patient care. We eagerly await answers to these questions.

Diagnostic Imaging↗

PubMed2006

Prostate cancer imaging--what the urologic oncologist needs to know.

Appropriate imaging for prostate cancer patients depends on the clinical disease state of the patient and the question being asked. For patients who do not have a cancer diagnosis, ultrasound is the standard approach, in combination with a sextant biopsy. In the future, contrast-enhanced ultrasound and MR imaging-directed biopsy may improve biopsy yield and decrease biopsy number. For clinically localized disease, endorectal coil MR imaging and bone scanning may play a role in patients who have risk factors for extracapsular extension, but more data are needed to define the role of MR spectroscopy and lymphtrophic nanoparticle MR imaging. In the rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) setting after definitive local therapy, endorectal coil MR imaging may help define local recurrence, whereas bone scanning can be useful in the setting of higher PSA or rapid PSA velocity.

Biopsy↗

PubMed2006

Weight loss strategies for obese adults: personalized weight management program vs. standard care.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a 32-week personalized Polar weight management program (PWMP) compared with standard care (SC) on body weight, body composition, waist circumference, and cardiorespiratory fitness in overweight or obese adults. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Overweight or obese (29 +/- 2 kg/m(2)) men and women (n = 74) 38 +/- 5 years of age were randomly assigned into either PWMP (men = 20, women = 21) or SC (men = 15, women = 18). Both groups managed their own diet and exercise program after receiving the same standardized nutrition and physical activity advice. PWMP also received a weight management system with literature to enable the design of a personalized diet and exercise weight loss program. Body weight and body composition, waist circumference, and cardiorespiratory fitness were measured at weeks 0, 16, and 32. RESULTS: Eighty percent of participants completed the 32-week intervention, with a greater proportion of the dropouts being women (PWMP: 2 men vs. 7 women; SC: 2 men vs. 4 women). At 32 weeks, PWMP completers had significantly (p < 0.001) greater losses in body weight [6.2 +/- 3.4 vs. 2.6 +/- 3.6 (standard deviation) kg], fat mass (5.9 +/- 3.4 vs. 2.2 +/- 3.6 kg), and waist circumference (4.4 +/- 4.5 vs. 1.0 +/- 3.6 cm). Weight loss and fat loss were explained by the exercise energy expenditure completed and not by weekly exercise duration. DISCUSSION: More effective weight loss was achieved after treatment with the PWMP compared with SC. The results suggest that the PWMP enables effective weight loss through tools that support self-monitoring without the requirement of more costly approaches to program supervision.

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMed2006

Visceral fat is an independent predictor of all-cause mortality in men.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the independent associations of abdominal fat (visceral and subcutaneous) and liver fat with all-cause mortality. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Participants included 291 men [97 decedents and 194 controls; mean age, 56.4 +/- 12.0 (SD) years] who received a computed tomography (CT) examination at the preventive medicine clinic in Dallas, TX, between 1995 and 1999, with a mean mortality follow-up of 2.2 +/- 1.3 years. Abdominal fat was determined using contiguous CT images from the L3-L4 to L4-L5 intervertebral space. Liver fat was assessed using the CT-determined liver attenuation value, which is inversely related to liver fat. Logistic regression was used to determine the independent association between the fat depots and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: During the study, there were 97 deaths. Visceral fat [odds ratio (OR) per SD: 1.83; 95% CI: 1.23 to 2.73], abdominal subcutaneous fat (1.44; 1.02 to 2.03), liver fat (0.64; 0.46 to 0.87), and waist circumference (1.41; 1.01 to 1.98) were significant individual predictors of mortality after controlling for age and length of follow-up. In a model including all three fat measures (subcutaneous, visceral, and liver fat), age, and length of follow-up, only visceral fat (1.93; 1.15 to 3.23) was a significant predictor of mortality. DISCUSSION: Visceral fat is a strong, independent predictor of all-cause mortality in men.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

Association of cardiorespiratory fitness, body mass index, and waist circumference to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: There is a need for more work examining the potential of physical activity and/or weight control as a preventive and/or therapeutic option in the treatment of fatty liver diseases. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between cardiorespiratory fitness, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference with markers of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS: Participants consisted of 218 apparently healthy nonsmoking, nonalcoholic men aged 33-73 years. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed by a maximal treadmill test. Liver and spleen density were measured using a computed tomography scan. We defined the presence of NAFLD as the following 3 conditions being met: (1) liver to spleen density of 1.0 or less, (2) serum alanine transaminase level greater than 30 U/L, and (3) serum aspartate transaminase/alanine transaminase level less than 1.0. RESULTS: Twenty-four (11%) of the participants met the NAFLD definition. There was an inverse association between fitness categories, and a positive association for BMI categories (and waist circumference categories) with the prevalence of NAFLD (P for trend <.001 for all). Fitness and BMI were independent of each other in their associations with the prevalence of NAFLD. The addition of waist circumference to the regression model attenuated the association with prevalence of NAFLD for both fitness (P value changed from <.0001 to .06) and BMI (P value changed from <.001 to .22). CONCLUSIONS: Fitness (inversely) and BMI (directly) were associated with the prevalence of NAFLD. However, these associations were attenuated when abdominal obesity was included in the statistical model.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

The importance of waist circumference in the definition of metabolic syndrome: prospective analyses of mortality in men.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the predictive ability of the National Cholesterol Education Panel (NCEP), revised NCEP (NCEP-R), and International Diabetes Federation (IDF) metabolic syndrome criteria for mortality risk, and to examine the effects of waist circumference on mortality within the context of these criteria. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The sample included 20,789 white, non-Hispanic men 20-83 years of age from the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study. The main outcome measures were all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality over 11.4 years of follow-up. RESULTS: The proportions of men with the metabolic syndrome were 19.7, 27, and 30% at baseline, respectively, according to NCEP, NCEP-R, and IDF criteria. A total of 632 deaths (213 CVD) occurred. The relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs of all-cause mortality were 1.36 (1.14-1.62), 1.31 (1.11-1.54), and 1.26 (1.07-1.49) for the NCEP, NCEP-R, and IDF definitions, respectively. The corresponding RRs for CVD mortality were 1.79 (1.35-2.37), 1.67 (1.27-2.19), and 1.67 (1.27-2.20). Additionally, there was a significant trend for a higher risk of CVD mortality across waist circumference categories (<94, 94-102, and >102 cm) among men with at least two additional metabolic syndrome risk factors (P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The prediction of mortality with IDF and NCEP metabolic syndrome criteria was comparable in men. Waist circumference is a valuable component of metabolic syndrome; however, the IDF requirement of an elevated waist circumference warrants caution given that a large proportion of men with normal waist circumference have multiple risk factors and an increased risk of mortality.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Does measurement site for visceral and abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue alter associations with the metabolic syndrome?

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the associations between visceral adipose tissue (VAT), abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (ASAT), and the metabolic syndrome are altered depending on measurement site for VAT and ASAT and the definition used to identify the metabolic syndrome. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Total VAT and ASAT volume was derived using approximately 37 contiguous computed tomography (CT) images from T10-T11 to L5-S1 in 85 men. CT images obtained at eight intervertebral locations (e.g., L4-L5, L3-L4, etc.) were used to determine the associations between partial volumes (single images) and metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome was defined using the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) and International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. Logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratio (OR) per SD increase in adipose tissue. RESULTS: For total and all partial volumes, VAT was more strongly associated with metabolic syndrome than ASAT independent of metabolic syndrome criteria. The OR (per SD) for NCEP metabolic syndrome was higher for total VAT volume (OR = 7.26) and for the partial volumes at T12-L1 (7.46) and L1-L2 (8.77) than those at the L4-L5 level (3.94). The OR for metabolic syndrome ( approximately 2.6) was not substantially different among the ASAT measures. A similar pattern of association was observed using the IDF metabolic syndrome criteria. CONCLUSIONS: The measurement site for VAT, but not for ASAT, has a substantial influence on the magnitude of the association with both metabolic syndrome definitions. However, because VAT remained significantly associated with metabolic syndrome regardless of measurement site, the clinical interpretation was unaltered by measurement protocol or metabolic syndrome definition.

Abdominal Fat↗

PubMed2005

Protocol for measurement of liver fat by computed tomography.

To develop a protocol for measurement of liver fat using computed tomography (CT), we conducted a preliminary study with 118 men and 76 women to determine a readily identifiable vertebral landmark at which the CT image displayed both liver and spleen. Analysis of five landmarks revealed that the CT image obtained at the T12-L1 level simultaneously displayed the liver and spleen in 90% of the men and women. The T12-L1 protocol was cross-validated on a sample of 130 men and 113 women. In this sample, we also assessed the regional characteristics of liver and spleen tissue attenuation at the T12-L1 level by subdividing each image into quartiles from anterior to posterior, each of which were further divided into medial and lateral regions. A similar analysis was performed on images located 12 mm above and below T12-L1. The T12-L1 image displayed both liver and spleen in 92% (403 of 437) of the combined study sample. There was a significant (P<0.005) stepwise increase in attenuation values [Hounsfield units (HU)] from the inferior to superior image. Although some significant (P<0.05) differences were observed between the eight regions by comparison to the whole liver or spleen, the average magnitude of the difference was <2.0 HU for liver and <3.5 HU for spleen. Acquisition of a single CT image at the T12-L1 level is a practical and reliable method for routine measurement of liver fat in research and clinical settings.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Exercise without weight loss is an effective strategy for obesity reduction in obese individuals with and without Type 2 diabetes.

It is unclear whether chronic exercise without caloric restriction or weight loss is a useful strategy for obesity reduction in obese men with and without Type 2 diabetes (T2D). We examined the effects of exercise without weight loss on total and regional adiposity and skeletal muscle mass and composition in lean men and in obese men with and without T2D. Twenty-four men participated in 13 wk of supervised aerobic exercise, five times per week for 60 min at a moderate intensity (approximately 60% peak oxygen uptake). Total and regional body composition was measured by magnetic resonance imaging. Skeletal muscle composition was determined using computed tomography. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed using a graded maximal treadmill test. Body weight did not change within any group in response to exercise (P > 0.1). Significant reductions in total, abdominal subcutaneous, and visceral fat were observed within each group (P < 0.01). The reduction in total and abdominal subcutaneous fat was not different (P > 0.1) between groups; however, the reduction in visceral fat was greater (P < 0.01) in the obese and T2D groups by comparison to the lean group. A significant (P < 0.01) increase in total skeletal muscle, high-density muscle area, and mean muscle attenuation was observed independent of group, and these changes were not different between groups (P > 0.1). Accordingly, whole body fat-to-muscle ratio was increased (P < 0.01) independent of groups. In conclusion, regular exercise without weight loss is associated with a substantial reduction in total and visceral fat and in skeletal muscle lipid in both obesity and T2D.

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMed2005

The Na+/Ca2+ exchanger/SR Ca2+ ATPase transport capacity regulates the contractility of normal and hypertrophied feline ventricular myocytes.

BACKGROUND: Pressure overload leads to cardiac hypertrophy, which is often followed by heart failure. We tested the hypothesis that depressed contractility in this process results from an imbalance in Ca 2+ transport by the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA) and the sarcolemmal Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX). METHODS AND RESULTS: Left ventricular (LV) myocytes (n = 79) from 12 normal (N) and 5 hypertrophied (LVH, by aortic banding) feline hearts were studied. Adenoviral gene transfer was used to introduce green fluorescent protein (GFP), SERCA2, and NCX into N and LVH myocytes. Contraction (videomicroscopy) and Ca2+ transients (Fluo-3) were measured in steady state and after rest periods of 2 to 120 seconds (rest decay and potentiation). LVH hearts were significantly larger than N (7.1 +/- 1.4 versus 4.2 +/- 0.2 g/kg). SERCA protein was significantly less abundant in LVH versus N. Steady state contractions and Ca2+ transients of LVH-GFP myocytes decayed more slowly and rest decay of contractility was more pronounced compared with N-GFP. Infection of LVH (and N) myocytes with SERCA increased basal contractility and reduced rest decay. Infection of LVH myocytes with NCX almost abolished contraction and in N myocytes reduced contractility and increased rest decay. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that an imbalance of Ca2+ transport by SERCA and the NCX produces the characteristic contractile abnormalities of hypertrophied cardiac myocytes.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Waist circumference and abdominal adipose tissue distribution: influence of age and sex.

BACKGROUND: The influence of age and sex on the distribution of abdominal adipose tissue for a given waist circumference (WC) is unclear. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to investigate the influence of age and sex on total (TAAT), visceral (VAT), and abdominal subcutaneous (ASAT) adipose tissue for a given WC. DESIGN: Body composition was assessed by whole-body magnetic resonance imaging in 147 younger men (< 50 y), 83 older men, 171 younger (premenopausal) women, and 80 older (postmenopausal) women with a wide range (16-40; in kg/m(2)) of body mass indexes. RESULTS: Within each sex, the regression lines between WC and TAAT were not significantly different (P > 0.1) between younger and older groups. Collapsed across age groups, women had more TAAT for a given WC than did men; however, this difference was significantly reduced with increasing WC (P < 0.05). Within each sex, regression lines derived for WC and ASAT were not significantly different between younger and older groups (P > 0.1). Collapsed across age groups, women had 1.8 kg more ASAT for a given WC (P < 0.05) than did men across the range of WCs. Within each sex, older men and women had a significantly greater increase in VAT for a given WC (P < 0.05) than did younger men and women. Furthermore, independent of age group, the slopes for WC and VAT were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in men than in women. CONCLUSIONS: There are significant sex differences in TAAT, VAT, and ASAT for a given WC. Furthermore, the relation between WC and VAT is substantially influenced by age.

Abdomen↗

PubMed2005

Body mass index is inversely related to mortality in older people after adjustment for waist circumference.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the individual and combined influence of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) on mortality risk in older people. DESIGN: Longitudinal cohort study. SETTING: Cardiovascular Health Study, a longitudinal study of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors in older people. PARTICIPANTS: Five thousand two hundred men and women aged 65 and older. MEASUREMENTS: BMI and WC were measured at baseline. The risks of all-cause mortality associated with BMI and WC were examined using Cox proportional hazards models over 9 years of follow-up. RESULTS: When examined individually, BMI and WC were both negative predictors of mortality, but when BMI and WC were examined simultaneously, BMI was a negative predictor of mortality, whereas WC was a positive predictor of mortality. After controlling for WC, mortality risk decreased 21% for every standard deviation increase in BMI. After controlling for BMI, mortality risk increased 13% for every standard deviation increase in WC. The patterns of associations were consistent by sex, age, and disease status. CONCLUSION: Higher BMI values indicated a lower mortality risk once the risk attributable to WC was accounted for, whereas higher WC values indicate a higher mortality risk once the risk attributable to BMI was accounted for. Both BMI and WC should be measured in the clinical setting, but in older adults higher BMI is associated with lower mortality rates.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

Effects on processes and costs of care associated with the addition of an internist to an inpatient psychiatry team.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the effects of collaboration between an internist and psychiatrists on the processes and cost of care among psychiatric inpatients. METHODS: A randomized controlled study was performed on the psychiatric inpatient units of an academic medical center. All inpatients who were admitted to the units between March 2001 and January 2002 were asked to participate in the study. Patients in the intervention group met with an internist who participated in their care by communicating with the patients' primary care physicians, assessing needs, updating appropriate health maintenance services, managing chronic and acute medical problems, and attending hospital work rounds. Patients in the usual-care group received usual care. The processes of care were measured by examining 17 categories that involved assessment of needs, coordination of care, and completion of health maintenance services. Resource use was measured by examining hospital charges and length of stay. RESULTS: A total of 139 adults participated in the study: 55 were in the intervention group and 84 were in the usual-care group. Patients in the intervention group showed significant improvement in 12 of the 17 categories of the processes of care. Overall, no differences were found in hospital charges or length of stay. CONCLUSIONS: Adding an internist to an inpatient psychiatric team is an effective way of improving care for this traditionally underserved population without increasing cost.

Academic Medical Centers↗

PubMed2005

Metabolic syndrome, obesity, and mortality: impact of cardiorespiratory fitness.

OBJECTIVE: To determine in normal weight, overweight, and obese men the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality associated with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and the influence of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This observational cohort study included 19,173 men who underwent a clinical examination, including a maximal exercise test. MetS was defined according to National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines. RESULTS: At baseline 19.5% of the men had MetS. The ORs of the metabolic syndrome at baseline were 4.7 (95% CI 4.2-5.3) in overweight and 30.6 (26.7-35.0) in obese men compared with normal weight men. A total of 477 deaths (160 CVD) occurred in 10.2 years of follow-up. The risks of all-cause mortality were 1.11 (0.75-1.17) in normal weight, 1.09 (0.82-1.47) in overweight, and 1.55 (1.14-2.11) in obese men with MetS compared with normal weight healthy men. The corresponding risks for CVD mortality were 2.06 (0.92-4.63) in normal weight, 1.80 (1.10-2.97) in overweight, and 2.83 (1.70-4.72) in obese men with the MetS compared with normal weight healthy men. After the inclusion of CRF in the model, the risks associated with obesity and MetS were no longer significant. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity and MetS are associated with an increased risk of all-cause and CVD mortality; however; these risks were largely explained by CRF.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Caffeine ingestion is associated with reductions in glucose uptake independent of obesity and type 2 diabetes before and after exercise training.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effect of caffeine ingestion on insulin sensitivity in sedentary lean men (n = 8) and obese men with (n = 7) and without (n = 8) type 2 diabetes. We also examined whether chronic exercise influences the relationship between caffeine and insulin sensitivity in these individuals. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Subjects underwent two hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp procedures, caffeine (5 mg/kg body wt) and placebo, in a double-blind, randomized manner before and after a 3-month aerobic exercise program. Body composition was measured by magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: At baseline, caffeine ingestion was associated with a significant reduction (P < 0.05) in insulin sensitivity by a similar magnitude in the lean (33%), obese (33%), and type 2 diabetic (37%) groups in comparison with placebo. After exercise training, caffeine ingestion was still associated with a reduction (P < 0.05) in insulin sensitivity by a similar magnitude in the lean (23%), obese (26%), and type 2 diabetic (36%) groups in comparison with placebo. Exercise was not associated with a significant increase in insulin sensitivity in either the caffeine or placebo trials, independent of group (P > 0.10). CONCLUSIONS: Caffeine consumption is associated with a substantial reduction in insulin-mediated glucose uptake independent of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and chronic exercise.

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMed2005

Cardiorespiratory fitness attenuates metabolic risk independent of abdominal subcutaneous and visceral fat in men.

OBJECTIVE: Moderate to high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) are associated with a lower risk of the metabolic syndrome and all-cause mortality. Unknown is whether CRF attenuates health risk for a given level of abdominal visceral fat, subcutaneous fat, and/or waist circumference. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The sample studied comprised 297 apparently healthy men with available computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging scans of the abdomen, metabolic data, and maximal treadmill exercise test results. Men were categorized into low-CRF (20%, n = 56), moderate-CRF (40%, n = 94), and high-CRF (40%, n = 147) groups based on age and exercise test results. All analyses were adjusted for age. RESULTS: For a given level of waist circumference, visceral fat, or subcutaneous fat, the high-CRF group had lower triglyceride levels (P < 0.05) and higher HDL cholesterol levels than the low- or moderate-CRF groups. There was a significant group interaction (P < 0.01) for blood pressure, indicating that the increase in blood pressure per unit increase in visceral fat or waist circumference was greater in men in the low-CRF group compared with the high-CRF group. The relative risks of having the metabolic syndrome were 1.8 (95% CI 1.0-3.1) and 1.6 (0.9-2.7) times higher in the low- and moderate-CRF groups, respectively, compared with the high-CRF group after adjusting for age, visceral fat, and subcutaneous fat (P for trend = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS: High levels of CRF are associated with a substantial reduction in health risk for a given level of visceral and subcutaneous fat.

Abdomen↗

PubMed2004

Bevacizumab plus irinotecan, fluorouracil, and leucovorin for metastatic colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor, has shown promising preclinical and clinical activity against metastatic colorectal cancer, particularly in combination with chemotherapy. METHODS: Of 813 patients with previously untreated metastatic colorectal cancer, we randomly assigned 402 to receive irinotecan, bolus fluorouracil, and leucovorin (IFL) plus bevacizumab (5 mg per kilogram of body weight every two weeks) and 411 to receive IFL plus placebo. The primary end point was overall survival. Secondary end points were progression-free survival, the response rate, the duration of the response, safety, and the quality of life. RESULTS: The median duration of survival was 20.3 months in the group given IFL plus bevacizumab, as compared with 15.6 months in the group given IFL plus placebo, corresponding to a hazard ratio for death of 0.66 (P<0.001). The median duration of progression-free survival was 10.6 months in the group given IFL plus bevacizumab, as compared with 6.2 months in the group given IFL plus placebo (hazard ratio for disease progression, 0.54; P<0.001); the corresponding rates of response were 44.8 percent and 34.8 percent (P=0.004). The median duration of the response was 10.4 months in the group given IFL plus bevacizumab, as compared with 7.1 months in the group given IFL plus placebo (hazard ratio for progression, 0.62; P=0.001). Grade 3 hypertension was more common during treatment with IFL plus bevacizumab than with IFL plus placebo (11.0 percent vs. 2.3 percent) but was easily managed. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of bevacizumab to fluorouracil-based combination chemotherapy results in statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in survival among patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

PubMed2004

Interindividual variation in abdominal subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue: influence of measurement site.

We evaluated the influence of measurement site on the ranking (low to high) of abdominal subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral (VAT) adipose tissue. We also determined the influence of measurement site on the prediction of abdominal SAT and VAT mass. The subjects included 100 men with computed tomography (CT) measurements at L4-L5 and L3-L4 levels and 100 men with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements at L4-L5 and 5 cm above L4-L5 (L4-L5 +5 cm). Corresponding mass values were determined by using multiple-image protocols. For SAT, 90 and 92 of the 100 subjects for CT and MRI, respectively, had a difference in rank position at the two levels. The change in rank position exceeded the error or measurement for approximately 75% of the subjects for both methods. For VAT, 91 and 95 of the 100 subjects for CT and MRI, respectively, had a difference in rank position at the two levels. The change in rank position exceeded the error of measurement for 36% of the subjects for CT and for 8% of the subjects for MRI. For both imaging modalities, the variance explained in SAT and VAT mass (kg) was comparable for L4-L5, L4-L5 +5 cm, and L3-L4 levels. In conclusion, the ranking of subjects for abdominal SAT and VAT quantity is influenced by measurement location. However, the ability to predict SAT and VAT mass by using single images obtained at the L4-L5, L4-L5 +5 cm, or L3-L4 levels is comparable.

Abdomen↗