Protective effect of leg fat against cardiovascular risk factors in obese premenopausal women.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: While the relationship between abdominal fat and cardiovascular risk (CVR) factors is well established, the possible protective role of peripheral fat against these factors has received less attention, particularly in severely obese individuals. The principal aim of this study was to analyse the relationship, if any, among amount of leg fat, CVR factors and body mass index (BMI) in obese premenopausal women.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Subjects were 80 obese premenopausal women. Body composition was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA); CVR factors (blood pressure, plasma lipids, glucose) were determined and anthropometric measurements (waist and hip circumferences) taken. In severely obese women (BMI>40 kg/m(2)) leg fat correlated negatively with CVR factors, whereas metabolic parameters were not significantly different from those of subjects with BMI<40 kg/m(2).

CONCLUSIONS: Leg fat seems to play a protective role against CVR factors in severely obese premenopausal women.