VISCERAL ADIPOSITY AND CVD RISK IN WOMEN

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Obesity has been well established as a risk factor for type II diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Concern about obesity has increased as the prevalence and severity of this problem in the United States has increased and the age at onset has decreased. However, the impact of obesity measured by body mass index appears to differ by race. For each unit increase in body mass index, blacks have less of an increase in blood pressure and triglycerides and less of a decrease in HDL cholesterol compared to whites. The explanation for this phenomenon remains unclear. We propose to evaluate the concept that these racial differences in the relationship of adiposity to cardiovascular risk are related to differences in the distribution of fat. We will do this through a cohort study of young adult black and white women who have been followed previously as part of the NHLBI Growth and Health Study. In this study, total body fat will be determined by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), and intra-abdominal (or visceral) fat will be measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We will also utilize information on pubertal maturation and diet collected on this cohort in childhood and adolescence to evaluate potent