Relationship between absorptiometry and ultrasound measurements of abdominal subcutaneous fat tissue in postmenopausal women.

The purpose of this study was to describe the association of abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) as assessed by ultrasound with fat tissue in the abdomen, trunk, and other areas as measured by DXA in 101 postmenopausal Caucasian women (62.5 years; 27.3 kg/m(2); 43.0% body fat). Ultrasound SAT thickness was calculated with electronic calipers positioned at the skin-fat and fat-muscle computer screen interface, at the suprailiac (SUPT) and abdominal (ABDT) sites. Pearson correlation showed significant ( p<0.001) coefficients between SAT by DXA at both ABDT ( r=0.644) and SUPT ( r=0.537). Other DXA measurements were also associated ( p<0.001) with SAT assessed by DXA and ultrasound. In postmenopausal women, DXA estimates of subcutaneous and total adiposity are moderately associated with ultrasound measures of fat in the abdomen. Future research at our and other laboratories should clarify the clinical and practical significance of these findings.