Caspian Journal of Internal Medicine
Babol University of Medical Sciences
Sat, Sep 12, 2026
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Volume 17, Issue 3 (Summer 2026)
Caspian J Intern Med 2026, 17(3): 659-670 |
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Ethics code: IR.MUBABOL.HRI.REC.1398.323
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Moslemi M, Mouodi M, Hosseini S R, Ghadimi R, Hosseinzadeh N, Bijani A. The relationship between visceral fat and diabetes mellitus in the elderly: a cross-sectional study. Caspian J Intern Med 2026; 17 (3) :659-670
URL: http://caspjim.com/article-1-5017-en.html
URL: http://caspjim.com/article-1-5017-en.html
Mohammad Moslemi 
, Marjan Mouodi , Seyed Reza Hosseini , Reza Ghadimi , Nasim Hosseinzadeh , Ali Bijani *
, Marjan Mouodi , Seyed Reza Hosseini , Reza Ghadimi , Nasim Hosseinzadeh , Ali Bijani *
Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran , alibijani@yahoo.com
Abstract: (27 Views)
Background: Diabetes mellitus and obesity are major public health concerns in older adults, and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is suggested to play a critical role in the metabolic dysfunction observed in type 2 diabetes. This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between VAT and other obesity-related indicators with type 2 diabetes mellitus in elderly adults in northern Iran.
Methods: Participants aged 60 years and older were included, comprising 300 individuals with diabetes and 600 controls for comparative analysis, matched by age and sex. Demographic characteristics, physical activity, anthropometric measures, fasting blood sugar (FBS), and lipid profile were assessed. VAT and other body fat parameters were measured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Statistical analyses including t-tests, Pearson correlation, and ROC curve analysis were performed.
Results: The diabetic group had a significantly higher VAT mass (954.54±319.82 vs. 831.95±323.20, p <0.001) and volume (1031.92±345.79 vs. 899.38±349.43, p <0.001) than controls, while total body fat mass and percentage were not significantly different in between groups (p = 0.052, 0.878; respectively). FBS showed positive correlation with VAT metrics (r = 0.127, p < 0.001). VAT mass and volume yielded the highest AUCs (0.605, 95% CI: 0.567–0.644, p < 0.001) for diabetes discrimination.
Conclusion: Our findings support the significant association of VAT and diabetes in older adults, in contrast to general fat measures. However, discriminatory power of VAT remained poor to inconclusive in our study, especially in older women. Further analysis is needed to clarify the clinical utility of VAT in screening and prevention.
Methods: Participants aged 60 years and older were included, comprising 300 individuals with diabetes and 600 controls for comparative analysis, matched by age and sex. Demographic characteristics, physical activity, anthropometric measures, fasting blood sugar (FBS), and lipid profile were assessed. VAT and other body fat parameters were measured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Statistical analyses including t-tests, Pearson correlation, and ROC curve analysis were performed.
Results: The diabetic group had a significantly higher VAT mass (954.54±319.82 vs. 831.95±323.20, p <0.001) and volume (1031.92±345.79 vs. 899.38±349.43, p <0.001) than controls, while total body fat mass and percentage were not significantly different in between groups (p = 0.052, 0.878; respectively). FBS showed positive correlation with VAT metrics (r = 0.127, p < 0.001). VAT mass and volume yielded the highest AUCs (0.605, 95% CI: 0.567–0.644, p < 0.001) for diabetes discrimination.
Conclusion: Our findings support the significant association of VAT and diabetes in older adults, in contrast to general fat measures. However, discriminatory power of VAT remained poor to inconclusive in our study, especially in older women. Further analysis is needed to clarify the clinical utility of VAT in screening and prevention.
Keywords: Diabetes, Elderly, Visceral fat mass, Visceral fat volume, Obesity, Body mass index, Waist circumference
Policy Brief: Original Article |
Subject:
Epidemiology
Received: 2025/12/9 | Accepted: 2026/09/12 | Published: 2026/06/9
Received: 2025/12/9 | Accepted: 2026/09/12 | Published: 2026/06/9
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