Objective: To determine the appropriate cutoffs for visceral fat area (VFA) measured by magnetic resonance imaging linking to risk of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and the corresponding waist circumference in Chinese.
Methods and results: Totally 1,140 individuals (men 525, women 615) aged from 35 to 75 years were included. The components of the MetS were defined by International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and Chinese Diabetes Society (CDS) definition, respectively. Receive operating characteristic curve analyses were used to determine the appropriate cutoffs of VFA and corresponding waist circumference in the prediction of the MetS. The optimal VFA cutoff was near 80 cm(2) in identifying the MetS with two or more components but not including overweight/obesity by either of the two definitions in all subjects. There was no difference in men by ages while women aged < 50 years tended to have lower VFA cutoff than those aged > or = 50 years by the two definitions. The appropriate waist circumference cutoffs were 90 cm in men and 85 cm in women for the MetS.
Conclusion: The optimal cutoff of waist circumference for abdominal obesity is 90 cm for men and 85 cm for women in Chinese.