NEW ORLEANS — Increased physical activity levels were associated with lower intra-abdominal fat levels in 330 middle-aged women participating in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN), Dr. Sheila Ann Dugan reported at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine.
In the biracial cohort of women who participated in the ancillary SWAN Diabetes Risk study, a highly statistically significant association was seen between self-reported physical activity, including household and exercise activities, and the level of intra-abdominal fat, Dr. Dugan reported in a poster at the meeting.
The association remained highly significant after adjusting for total percent fat mass, age, ethnicity, hormonal status, educational level, depression score, and parity, and the findings were similar in black and white women, explained Dr. Dugan of Rush University Medical Center, Chicago.
Intra-abdominal fat is a risk factor for diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, and can be present even in women of normal weight. The study's finding is encouraging because it reinforces the fact that intra-abdominal fat is preventable and modifiable, Dr. Dugan noted in a statement.
Exercising and avoiding overeating can help prevent excess intra-abdominal fat; the American College of Sports Medicine recommends 30–60 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per day in healthy adults, according to the statement.
Motivating women to increase their physical activity during their middle years, when visceral fat levels tend to increase due to age-related weight gain and menopause, can positively modify age-related increases in women's intra-abdominal fat and may improve their cardiovascular risk profiles, Dr. Dugan concluded.