skip to content
Dovepress - Open Access to Scientific and Medical Research
View our mobile site

8852

Imaging body composition in obesity and weight loss: challenges and opportunities

Review

(2711) Views  (728) Full article downloads

Authors: Heidi J Silver, E Brian Welch, Malcolm J Avison, et al

Published Date September 2010 Volume 2010:3 Pages 337 - 347
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/DMSO.S9454

Heidi J Silver1, E Brian Welch2, Malcolm J Avison2, Kevin D Niswender1,3
1Department of Medicine, 2Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Institute of Imaging Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; 3Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN, USA

Abstract: Obesity is a threat to public health worldwide primarily due to the comorbidities related to visceral adiposity, inflammation, and insulin resistance that increase risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The translational research portfolio that originally described these risk factors was significantly enhanced by imaging techniques, such as dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In this article, we briefly review the important contributions of these techniques to understand the role of body composition in the pathogenesis of obesity-related complications. Notably, these imaging techniques have contributed greatly to recent findings identifying gender and racial differences in body composition and patterns of body composition change during weight loss. Although these techniques have the ability to generate good-quality body composition data, each possesses limitations. For example, DEXA is unable to differentiate type of fat, CT has better resolution but provides greater ionizing radiation exposure, and MRI tends to require longer imaging times and specialized equipment for acquisition and analysis. With the serious need for efficacious and cost-effective therapies to appropriately identify and treat at-risk obese individuals, there is greater need for translational tools that can further elucidate the interplay between body composition and the metabolic aberrations associated with obesity. In conclusion, we will offer our perspective on the evolution toward an ideal imaging method for body composition assessment in obesity and weight loss, and the challenges remaining to achieve this goal.

Keywords: obesity, imaging, body composition, visceral fat






Readers of this article also read:

Alogliptin: a new addition to the class of DPP-4 inhibitors
Berberine: metabolic and cardiovascular effects in preclinical and clinical trials
Potential renovascular hypertension, space missions, and the role of magnesium
Critical appraisal of the role of glucosamine and chondroitin in the management of osteoarthritis of the knee
Ego mechanisms of defense are associated with patients’ preference of treatment modality independent of psychological distress in end-stage renal disease
Can a gentamicin-specific chart reduce neonatal medication errors?
Morgellons disease: Analysis of a population with clinically confirmed microscopic subcutaneous fibers of unknown etiology
Nephroprotective action of glycosaminoglycans: why the pharmacological properties of sulodexide might be reconsidered
Dashboards in neonatology
The economic impact of obesity in the United States
  • Testimonials

    "You do a tremendous job!!" Ruben Restrepo, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio