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Abdominal Fat Accumulation, as Measured by Computed Tomography, Increases the Risk of Ischemic Colitis: A Retrospective Case–Control Study

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Abstract

Background and Aim

Visceral fat contributes to insulin resistance and atherosclerosis. We retrospectively investigated whether abdominal fat accumulation, as measured by computed tomography, is a risk of ischemic colitis and related clinical outcomes.

Materials and Methods

Outpatient-onset ischemic colitis patients (n = 58) and age- and sex-matched controls (n = 58) underwent colonoscopy and computed tomography. Associations between body mass index, visceral adipose tissue area, subcutaneous adipose tissue area, and ischemic colitis were estimated using odds ratios adjusted for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia.

Results

In multivariate analysis, ischemic colitis was significantly associated with subcutaneous adipose tissue area (P for trend 0.030) and marginally associated with visceral adipose tissue area (P for trend 0.094), but was not associated with body mass index (P for trend 0.460). The adjusted odds ratios for the highest quartile of subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue in ischemic colitis were 3.48 (1.06–11.4) and 2.43 (0.74–8.00), respectively, compared with the lowest quartile. When body mass index was considered simultaneously, ischemic colitis remained associated with subcutaneous adipose tissue (P for trend 0.016) and visceral adipose tissue (P for trend 0.077). No significant differences were noted between any of the obesity indices and the distribution type of colitis, blood transfusion requirement, or length of hospital stay.

Conclusion

Abdominal fat accumulation measured by computed tomography, but not body mass index, was associated with outpatient-onset ischemic colitis. Ischemic colitis remained associated with abdominal fat, even when body mass index was simultaneously considered. However, clinical outcomes of ischemic colitis were not associated with abdominal fat accumulation.

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Abbreviations

IC:

Ischemic colitis

NCGM:

National Center for Global Health and Medicine

NSAIDs:

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

SAT:

Subcutaneous adipose tissue

VAT:

Visceral adipose tissue

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Acknowledgments

This study was partly supported by the Medicine for Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare; Health and Labour Sciences Research Grants; a grant for Comprehensive Research on Life-Style Related Diseases including Cardiovascular Diseases and Diabetes Mellitus (H25-016) from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan; and grants for research and development from the National Center for Global Health and Medicine. We thank Hisae Kawashiro, Sawako Iijima, Yoko Tanigawa, Aiko Gotanda, and Yaeko Sawada for help with data collection.

Conflict of interest

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, 1-21-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan

    Tomonori Aoki, Naoyoshi Nagata, Ryota Niikura, Katsunori Sekine, Hidetaka Okubo, Kazuhiro Watanabe, Toshiyuki Sakurai, Chizu Yokoi, Junichi Akiyama & Mikio Yanase

  2. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, 1-21-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan

    Kayo Sakamoto, Tomohiro Arai & Masafumi Shinozaki

  3. Department of Clinical Research and Informatics, International Clinical Research Center Research Institute, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, 1-21-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan

    Takuro Shimbo

  4. The Research Center for Hepatitis and Immunology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Kohnodai Hospital, 1-7-1 Kohnodai, Ichikawa City, Chiba, 272-8516, Japan

    Masashi Mizokami

  5. Departments of Diabetes Research, Diabetes Research Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, 1-21-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan

    Mitsuhiko Noda

  6. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Kohnodai Hospital, 1-7-1 Kohnodai, Ichikawa City, Chiba, 272-8516, Japan

    Naomi Uemura

Authors
  1. Tomonori Aoki
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  2. Naoyoshi Nagata
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  3. Kayo Sakamoto
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  4. Tomohiro Arai
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  5. Ryota Niikura
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  7. Masafumi Shinozaki
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  8. Katsunori Sekine
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  9. Hidetaka Okubo
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  13. Junichi Akiyama
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  14. Mikio Yanase
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  15. Masashi Mizokami
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  16. Mitsuhiko Noda
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  17. Naomi Uemura
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Naoyoshi Nagata.

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Aoki, T., Nagata, N., Sakamoto, K. et al. Abdominal Fat Accumulation, as Measured by Computed Tomography, Increases the Risk of Ischemic Colitis: A Retrospective Case–Control Study. Dig Dis Sci 60, 2104–2111 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-015-3555-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-015-3555-6

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