Abstract: Objective To investigate the correlation between the lumbar bone marrow fat and abdominal fat. Methods A total of
68 individuals (32 men and 36 women, aged 21-74 years with a median of 49.5 years) were included in this study. All the
subjects underwent spectroscopic examination of the third lumber vertebra with the single voxel method on a 1.5T MR scanner
to measure the fat fraction (FF%). Quantitative CT was also performed for measurement of the abdomen subcutaneous adipose
tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT). The measurements were compared between subjects aged ≥50 years and those
below 50 years, respectively,in male or female subjects. Results In male subjects, BMI, FF%, VAT or SAT showed no significant
differences between the two age groups (P>0.05), and FF% was not correlated with BMI, VAT or SAT (r=0.109, 0.034, 0.066,
respectively; P>0.05). In the female subjects, BMI, FF%, VAT and SAT differed significantly between the two age groups (P<
0.05), and in ≥50 years group, FF% showed a positive correlation with VAT (r=0.499, P<0.05) but was not correlated with SAT
(r=0.221, P>0.05); in<50 years group, FF% was not correlated with VAT or SAT (r=0.076, -0.067, respectively; P>0.05).
Conclusion FF% is positively correlated with VAT in female subjects aged beyond 50 years, but is not correlated with VAT or
SAT in male subjects or in younger female subjects.