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Background/Objectives: Steelworkers are more likely to have a higher prevalence of hyperuricemia due to their exposure to special occupational factors and dietary habits. The interrelationships of visceral adiposity index (VAI), hyperuricemia, and drinking tea remain uncertain. This study aimed to assess the association between VAI and hyperuricemia among steelworkers, and if drinking tea modified this association. Methods: A total of 9928 steelworkers from Hunan Hualing Xiangtan Iron and Steel Company participated in this cross-sectional study. All participants completed a questionnaire, received anthropometric measurements, and provided blood samples for biochemical testing. Three logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between VAI and hyperuricemia. Results: In this study, the prevalence of hyperuricemia was approximately 23.74% (males: 24.41%; females: 20.63%), and a positive correlation between VAI and hyperuricemia risk was observed. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, the risk of hyperuricemia increased 1.76 times (95% CI: 1.64–1.89) and 2.13 times (95% CI: 1.76–2.57) with the increase of ln VAI in males and females, respectively. For males, compared to quartile 1, the risk of hyperuricemia in the second, third, and fourth quartile of VAI were 1.75 (95% CI: 1.11–2.71), 2.56 (95% CI: 1.67–3.93) and 4.89 (95% CI: 3.22–7.43). For females, compared to quartile 1, the risk of hyperuricemia in the second, third, and fourth quartile of VAI were 1.99 (95% CI: 1.40–2.82), 2.92 (95% CI: 1.96–4.34) and 4.51 (95% CI: 2.89–7.02). Additionally, our study found that, compared with not consuming tea, drinking tea could reduce uric acid levels by 0.014 in male steelworkers (t = −2.051, p = 0.040), 0.020 in workers consuming smoked food (t = −2.569, p = 0.010), and 0.022 in workers consuming pickled food (t = −2.764, p = 0.006). Conclusions: In conclusion, VAI is positively correlated with hyperuricemia in steelworkers. Drinking tea may lower uric acid levels in male steelworkers and steelworkers who prefer smoked and pickled foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kidney stones represent a serious medical problem, resulting from several factors such as diet, genetics, and certain medical conditions. Visceral adipose tissue has been shown in recent research to play a significant role in kidney stone formation, making it a more precise indicator than traditional obesity indicators such as body mass index. The main aim of this review is to summarize studies on visceral obesity as a predictive marker for nephrolithiasis and to highlight new mechanistic pathways such as adipokine-mediated inflammation and its impact on kidney stone formation. This review emphasizes the importance of considering visceral fat in the prevention and management of kidney stones, suggesting that targeted strategies to reduce visceral fat could decrease the incidence of kidney stones and their management costs. Further prospective studies are needed to validate these findings and propose preventive strategies based on visceral adiposity assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The visceral adiposity index (VAI) and handgrip strength (HGS) are identified as important objectives for the prevention of illness. Nevertheless, there is limited understanding regarding the impact of the VAI and HGS on cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM). We aimed to ascertain the impact of the VAI and HGS on CMM among middle-aged and older people. Data spanning from 2011 to 2020 were derived from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). In total, 7909 individuals aged 45 years and older were included. Cox proportional hazard regression was utilized to examine the correlation among the VAI, HGS, and CMM. Throughout the 10-year follow-up, we determined that both the VAI (HR = 1.330; 95%CI = 1.179–1.500) and HGS (HR = 0.745, 95%CI = 0.645–0.861) exhibited significant associations with CMM risk. Individuals exposed to both a high VAI and low HGS were found to have higher hazards of CMM (HR = 1.377, 95%CI = 1.120–1.694) in contrast to participants exposed to one or none of these conditions. The older (HR = 1.414; 95%CI = 1.053–1.899) and male (HR = 1.586; 95%CI = 1.114–2.256) groups are more likely to experience CMM risk. Our findings suggest that both the VAI and HGS have significant effects on CMM risk. Appropriate interventions focused on vulnerable groups are recommended to prevent the incidence of CMM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most frequent endocrine illnesses, often accompanied by visceral adiposity and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Visceral adiposity is an accurate predictor of MetS and cardiometabolic risk. This study aims to evaluate different anthropometric indices that can be used in PCOS and MetS risk assessment. A total of 66 women with PCOS (50%) and 66 controls (50%) were included, and clinical and biochemical parameters were evaluated. The body mass index (BMI), body shape index (ABSI), body roundness index (BRI), dysfunctional adiposity index (DAI), lipid accumulation (LAP) index, and visceral adiposity index (VAI) were calculated. The means of all indices were higher in the PCOS group (p < 0.05). The marker with the lowest discriminatory ability for PCOS and MetS was ABSI (AUC = 0.762 and AUC = 0.714, respectively, p = 0.000). According to the multivariate logistic regression model, the VAI and WC are strong predictors of PCOS (AUC, 98%; accuracy, 92%; sensitivity, 92%; and specificity, 91%), and WC, LAP index, and BRI are strong predictors of MetS (AUC, 0.95%; accuracy, 86%; sensitivity, 83%; and specificity, 88%). The use of different anthropometric indices in the detection of PCOS and MetS may allow for early diagnosis and treatment, and are simple and cost-effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Perimenopause begins on average four years before a woman's last menses. At the end of this time, oestrogen levels drop, which leads to physiological and anatomical changes which have a significant impact on the quality of life. Increase in the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) during the sixth decade of life can be explained by not only oestrogen deprivation, but also an effect on the lipid profile. A study showed that in healthy women, total cholesterol levels increase on average by 25 mg/dL (14%) and the levels of LDL cholesterol increase on average by 20 mg/dL (19%) from 4 years before to 1 year after menopause, which results in a greater atherogenic profile in postmenopausal women. Heart failure (HF) and cardiovascular disease, the risk of which increases during perimenopause, are not considered isolated conditions, but rather complex systemic disorders. Engaging in the amount of moderate physical activity recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) helps reduce the risk of death and adverse health events. Regular physical activity reduces body weight, improves cardiopulmonary fitness, and reduces inflammation. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of a 6-month aqua aerobics programme on cardiometabolic (anthropometric and biochemical) parameters in perimenopausal women. Background: Menopause is a time when women experience a number of physiological and anatomical changes resulting from a decline in ovarian function. It can be concluded that cardiovascular disease increases in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, irrespective of age-related changes. Engaging in the amount of moderate physical activity recommended by the World Health Organization helps reduce the risk of death and adverse health events. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of a 6-month aqua aerobics programme on cardiometabolic (anthropometric and biochemical) parameters in perimenopausal women. Methods: In this study, 30 women (control group—16, study group—14) participated in the 6-month aqua aerobics training programme. The mean age of women was 47.67 ± 6.79 year and BMI 26.33 ± 3.64 kg/m2. At the beginning and at the end of the study, anthropometric and blood samples analysis were performed. In the blood, lipid profile, morphotic elements were determined. Body composition, waist–hip ratio (WHR), visceral adiposity index (VAI), blood pressure (BP) were measured. Results: The aqua aerobics programme resulted in a significant decrease in the WHR (p < 0.05; ES: 2.143), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (p < 0.05; ES: 1.005), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PRL) (p < 0.05; ES: 0.460) and an increase in haemoglobin (HGB) concentration (p < 0.05; ES: 0.643). Conclusions: The type of physical activity described in the present study is a great way for perimenopausal women to take care of their overall well-being. The reduction in selected cardiometabolic parameters is important from the point of view of the protection of women's health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The visceral adiposity index (VAI) is related to the occurrence of various cardiometabolic diseases, atherosclerosis, and stroke. However, few studies have analyzed the impact on the short-term prognosis of stroke. We assessed the effect of VAI on short-term prognoses in patients with acute ischemic stroke through a retrospective cohort study of 225 patients with acute stroke who were admitted to the neurological intensive care unit of our hospital. We collected metabolic indicators (blood pressure, fasting glucose, lipids), National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, and other disease evaluation indicators on 197 patients who were screened for inclusion. VAI was calculated by using baseline data (sex, height, weight, waist circumference (WC)). We assessed functional recovery according to modified Rankin scale scores after 90 days. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to calculate the VAI cutoff value that affects short-term outcomes. A nomogram that can predict the risk of short-term mortality in patients with acute ischemic stroke was drawn. In total, 28 patients died within 90 days. Those patients had higher VAI (p = 0.000), higher triglyceride (TG) (p = 0.020) and NIHSS scores (p = 0.000), and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (p = 0.000) than patients who survived. VAI had higher predictive value of short-term mortality than did body mass index (BMI), body fat mass index (BFMI), and WC. VAI and NIHSS scores were independent risk factors for the short-term mortality of patients with stroke. Patients with a VAI > 2.355 had a higher risk of short-term mortality. VAI has a predictive value higher than that of traditional metabolic indicators such as BMI, BFMI, and WC. The nomogram, composed of NIHSS, VAI, HDL-C, and TG, may predict the short-term mortality of cerebral infarction patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The visceral adiposity index (VAI) was recently introduced to quantify visceral fat accumulation and dysfunction. This cross-sectional study explored whether the VAI is associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in older adults and compared its utility with that of body mass index (BMI) for predicting CKD. In total, 7736 older adults (3479 men and 4257 women) aged ≥ 60 years were divided into normal, mild, and moderate-to-severe CKD groups. Associations of the VAI and BMI with CKD were compared among the groups, and cut-off points for moderate-to-severe CKD (MSCKD) were established. While the VAI could discriminate among all of the groups, the BMI could not. The severity of CKD was more strongly associated with the VAI than BMI. The odds ratios indicated that, in the fully adjusted model, the VAI was a significant predictor of MSCKD in both men and women, while the BMI was a significant predictor only in men. For the VAI, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values for men and women were 0.631 (cut-off point: ≥2.993) and 0.588 (≥4.001), compared with 0.555 (≥25.335) and 0.533 (≥24.096) for BMI, respectively. Taken together, the findings suggest that the VAI is associated with CKD and represents a better indicator for the disease than BMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing obesity- and lipid-related indices are inconsistent with metabolic syndrome (MetS) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. We compared seven indicators, including waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), visceral fat area (VFA), subcutaneous fat area (SFA), visceral adiposity index (VAI), Chinese VAI and lipid accumulation product (LAP), to evaluate their ability to predict MetS in CKD patients with and without Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) under various criteria. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the independent associations between the indices and metabolic syndrome among 547 non-dialysis CKD patients, aged ≥18 years. The predictive power of these indices was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. After adjusting for potential confounders, the correlation between VAI and MetS was strongest based on the optimal cut-off value of 1.51 (sensitivity 86.84%, specificity 91.18%) and 2.35 (sensitivity 83.54%, specificity 86.08%), with OR values of 40.585 (8.683–189.695) and 5.076 (1.247–20.657) for males and females with CKD and T2DM. In CKD patients without T2DM, based on the optimal cut-off values of 1.806 (sensitivity 98.11%, specificity 72.73%) and 3.11 (sensitivity 84.62%, specificity 83.82%), the OR values were 7.514 (3.757–15.027) and 3.008 (1.789–5.056) for males and females, respectively. The area under ROC curve (AUC) and Youden index of VAI were the highest among the seven indexes, indicating its superiority in predicting MetS in both male and female CKD patients, especially those with T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to investigate associations between dietary macronutrient proportions and prospective visceral adiposity index changes (DVAI). The study included 1254 adults (18-74 years), from the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS), who were followed for three years. Dietary intakes were assessed twice using food frequency questionnaires. Associations of dietary macronutrient with DVAI and risk of visceral adiposity dysfunction (VAD) after three years were investigated. The percentage of energy intake from protein in the total population, and from fat in women, were associated with higher increases in VAI. A 5% higher energy intake from protein substituted for carbohydrate, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) was associated with higher DVAI. Higher energy intake from animal protein substituted for PUFAs was positively associated with DVAI. Substituting protein and PUFAs with MUFAs were related to higher DVAI. The associations were similar in men and women, but reached significance mostly among women. Risk of VAD was increased when 1% of energy from protein was replaced with MUFAs. Substituting protein for carbohydrate and fat, and fat for carbohydrate, resulted in increased risk of VAD in women. Higher dietary proportions of protein and animal-derived MUFA may be positively associated with DVAI and risk of VAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine condition affecting 6–18% of adolescents and is strongly associated with obesity and cardiovascular risk factors, enhancing the risk of atherosclerosis. Thirty-two adolescents with newly diagnosed PCOS were evaluated for lipid profile disorders, insulin resistance, inflammation, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and subclinical atherosclerosis through measurements of carotid intima–media thickness (cIMT). The relationships of the above markers with increased body mass index and abdominal obesity were investigated. Twenty-three adolescents (72%) were overweight (OW) or obese (OB). The OW/OB group had significantly higher insulin, HOMA-IR, high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), visceral adiposity index (VAI), and lipid accumulation product (LAP) levels; and lower glucose-per-insulin ratios and HDL-C levels compared to the healthy weight group. The cIMT and small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (sdLDL-C) levels did not differ between the two groups. Similarly, cIMT and sdLDL-C levels did not differ between PCOS-adolescents and healthy controls. CIMT was positively correlated with systolic blood pressure and waist circumference per height ratio. In conclusion, OW/OB PCOS-adolescents have a cluster of adverse factors predisposing them to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Therefore, early cardiovascular risk assessment, as well as timely and targeted interventions, are necessary for prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background. Visceral adiposity index (VAI) has been recently identified as a new cardiometabolic risk marker reflecting abdominal fat distribution and dyslipidaemia. The aim of the present paper was to evaluate the relationship between VAI, daily energy intake and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in a cohort of obese Caucasian children and adolescents, aged 8 to 15 years. (2) Methods. Consecutive Italian children and adolescents with obesity, according to World Health Organization were enrolled. Anthropometric parameters and blood pressure were measured. Fasting blood samples have been analyzed for lipids, insulin and glucose levels. MetS was diagnosed using identification and prevention of dietary- and lifestyle-induced health effects in children and infants (IDEFICS) or International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria according to age. Homeostatic model assessment index (HOMA-IR), quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI), A body shape index (ABSI) and VAI were calculated. Multivariable logistic regression analyses with sex, age and each anthropometric parameter (body mass index (BMI) z-score, ABSI, waist-to-height ratio (WHR)) or VAI was performed to predict MetS. Receiver operation curve (ROC) analysis was used to define the optimal VAI cut-off to identify MetS. Multiple regression was performed to predict the BMI z-score and VAI from daily energy intake after adjusting for age and sex. (3) Results. Six hundred and thirty-seven (313 boys and 324 girls) children and adolescents with obesity with median age 11 (interquartile range 10–13) years were included in the analysis. MetS was diagnosed in 79 patients. VAI correlated with BMI, WHR, ABSI, HOMA-IR, QUICKI, systolic blood pressure, low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides and triglycerides-to-HDL ratio (p < 0.050). Optimal VAI cut-off (AUC) values to identify MetS were 1.775 (0.774), 1.685 (0.776) and 1.875 (0.797) in the whole population, boys and girls, respectively. Energy intake was positively associated with BMI z-score but no association was found with VAI. (4) Conclusion. VAI is a promising tool to identify MetS in children and adolescents with obesity and should be used in the management of abdominal obesity together with dietary assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the performance of 11 obesity-related indices, including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, waist–hip ratio, a body shape index, abdominal volume index, body adiposity index, body roundness index, conicity index, visceral adiposity index (VAI), and triglyceride glucose (TyG) index, in identifying metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adults. The information of 5000 participants was obtained from the Taiwan Biobank. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the associations between MetS and obesity-related indices with odds ratio (ORs). The predictive performance of the indices to identify MetS was compared using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and areas under curves (AUCs). Multivariate-adjusted logistic regression showed that the ORs for MetS increased across the quartiles of each index. ROC curves analysis demonstrated that TyG index had the greatest AUC in men (AUC = 0.850) and women (AUC = 0.890). Furthermore, VAI had the greatest AUC in men (AUC = 0.867) and women (AUC = 0.925) aged 30−50 years, while TyG index had the greatest AUC in men (AUC = 0.849) and women (AUC = 0.854) aged 51−70 years. Among the studied obesity-related indices, TyG index and VAI exhibited the best performance for identifying MetS in adults. TyG index and VAI may be the relevant indices to assess MetS in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The associations between visceral adiposity index (VAI), body shape index and diabetes in adults were inconsistent. We assessed the predictive capacity of VAI and body shape index for diabetes by comparing them with body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC). We used the data of 5838 Chinese men and women aged ≥18 years from the 2009 China Health and Nutrition Survey. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the independent associations between Chinese VAI (CVAI) or body shape index and diabetes. The predictive power of the two indices was assessed using the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, and compared with those of BMI and WC. Both CVAI and body shape index were positively associated with diabetes. The odds ratios for diabetes were 4.9 (2.9–8.1) and 1.8 (1.2–2.8) in men, and 14.2 (5.3–38.2) and 2.0 (1.3–3.1) in women for the highest quartile of CVAI and body shape index, respectively. The area under the ROC (AUC) and Youden index for CVAI was the highest among all four obesity indicators, whereas BMI and WC are better indicators for diabetes screening. Higher CVAI and body shape index scores are independently associated with diabetes risk. CVAI has a higher overall diabetes diagnostic ability than BMI, WC and body shape index in Chinese adults. BMI and WC, however, are more appealing as screening indicators considering their easy use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: The visceral adiposity index (VAI), estimating visceral adiposity dysfunction through a simple formula, could serve as a useful tool for identifying individuals at higher cardiometabolic risk. Its relationship with insulin resistance (IR), assessed using the homeostasis model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR), and metabolic syndrome (MetS) components remains unclear. The study aimed to investigate the association of VAI with both HOMA-IR and MetS. Materials and Methods: After undergoing anthropometric and biochemical studies, 783 individuals were divided into three groups according to a number of present MetS components. The VAI cut-offs signaling MetS and HOMA-IR were determined by maximizing the sum of the sensitivity and specificity. Correlation analysis was performed to explore the associations between VAI and other tested parameters. A logistic stepwise regression analysis was applied to identify statistically significant determinants of HOMA-IR. Given the variability of reference values, two thresholds of HOMA-IR were applied, namely 2.0 and 3.8. Results: VAI increased significantly between the groups with a rising number of MetS components. The VAI cut-off for MetS was 2.37, with a sensitivity of 0.86 and a specificity of 0.78. The same cut-off point identified subjects with HOMA-IR = 3.8, with a sensitivity of 0.79 and a specificity of 0.66. The VAI cut-off for HOMA-IR = 2.0 was 1.89, with a sensitivity of 0.74 and a specificity of 0.68. The strongest correlations of VAI were noted with HOMA-IR (r = 0.51) and insulin (r = 0.49), respectively, while the strongest correlation of HOMA-IR was with waist circumference (r = 0.54). Not one of the routine parameters was a significant predictor in the regression analysis. Conclusions: The obtained results show an existing association of VAI with HOMA-IR. The high sensitivity and specificity of the cut-offs may allow the application of VAI in common clinical practice.

We aimed to compare the relative strength of the association between anthropometric obesity indices and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Another objective was to examine whether the visceral adiposity index (VAI) and lipid accumulation product index (LAPI) can identify CKD in the rural population of China. There were 5168 males and 6024 females involved in this cross-sectional study, and 237 participants (2.12%) suffered from CKD. Obesity indices included body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), VAI and LAPI. VAI and LAPI were calculated with triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), BMI and WC. VAI = [WC/39.68 + (1.88 × BMI)] × (TG /1.03) × (1.31/ HDL) for males; VAI = [WC/36.58 + (1.89 × BMI)] × (TG/0.81) × (1.52/HDL) for females. LAPI = (WC-65) × TG for males, LAPI = (WC-58) × TG for females. CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of less than 60 mL/min per 1.73 m². The prevalence of CKD increased across quartiles for WHtR, VAI and LAPI. A multivariate logistic regression analysis of the presence of CKD for the highest quartile vs. the lowest quartile of each anthropometric measure showed that the VAI was the best predictor of CKD in females (OR: 4.21, 95% CI: 2.09-8.47, p < 0.001). VAI showed the highest AUC for CKD (AUC: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.65-0.72) and LAPI came second (AUC: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.61-0.70) in females compared with BMI (both p -values < 0.001). However, compared with the traditional index of the BMI, the anthropometric measures VAI, LAPI, WC, and WHtR had no statistically significant capacity to predict CKD in males. Our results showed that both VAI and LAPI were significantly associated with CKD in the rural population of northeast China. Furthermore, VAI and LAPI were superior to BMI, WC and WHtR for predicting CKD only in females., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.