SAT-663 - Visceral Adiposity Thresholds in Mexico and the United States using the Metabolic Score for Visceral Fat: Evidence from National Representative Health Surveys

Background: Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is associated with adverse cardiometabolic outcomes. However, its direct quantification using imaging techniques is costly and impractical for large-scale population studies. The Metabolic Score for Visceral Fat (METS-VF), a previously validated index based on clinical and biochemical parameters, provides an estimate of visceral adiposity (eVAT) in grams. Despite its increasing use, population-based thresholds of eVAT using METS-VF across age, sex, and ethnic groups remains uncharacterized.

Aim: To characterize and compare age-, sex-, and ethnic-specific eVAT derived from the METS-VF in adults recruited for National Representative Health Surveys from Mexico and the United States

Methods: We analyzed data from the Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT, 2018–2023) and the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 1999–2018), including adults aged 20 years and with complete anthropometrical (BMI, waist-to-height ratio) and biochemical (glucose, triglycerides and HDL-C) variables to estimate eVAT using METS-VF. Survey-weighted random effect linear regression models accounting for complex sampling designs were fitted separately for each country to estimate adjusted mean eVAT by age group ( < 20, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80+), sex and ethnic groups (Non-Hispanic White, Non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, Non-Hispanic Asian, and Other). Models were adjusted for weighted prevalence of arterial hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and smoking status and using the survey year as a random effect. In NHANES, additional analyses examined differences by race/ethnicity.

Results
We estimated eVAT in 13,302 (45.9% women; mean age: 44.4 years) adults from Mexico and 18,804 (51.6% women; mean age: 48.9 years) adults from the US. In both countries, adjusted eVAT increased progressively across age in women and men, with approximately 160 g higher levels among men across all age groups. In Mexico, adjusted mean eVAT increased from ~318 g in women aged 20–29 years to ~877 g in those aged 70–79 years, and from 483 g to 1,042 g across the same age groups in men. Similar age-related patterns were observed in U.S., although adjusted eVAT levels were generally lower than in Mexico across most age groups. However, US-Hispanic adults exhibited the highest adjusted eVAT levels (approximately 689 g in women and 831 g in men), whereas non-Hispanic Asian adults showed the lowest levels.

Conclusions: Using two nationally representative health surveys, we estimated eVAT distribution thresholds across age, sex, and ethnicity, showing higher eVAT accumulation in older adults and men, with the highest levels observed among Mexican adults and U.S. Hispanic adults.

*Unless otherwise noted, all abstracts presented at ENDO must not be released to the press or the public until the date and time of presentation. For oral presentations, the abstracts are embargoed until the session begins. The Endocrine Society reserves the right to lift the embargo on specific abstracts that are selected for promotion prior to or during ENDO.*