Affiliation:
1. Department of Exercise and Sport Science University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill North Carolina USA
2. Human Movement Science Curriculum University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill North Carolina USA
3. Centre for Early Learning in Medicine, Otago Medical School University of Otago Dunedin New Zealand
4. Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Public Health University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill North Carolina USA
Abstract
SummaryCentral adiposity, which is visceral and subcutaneous adiposity in the abdominal region, is a known risk factor for developing chronic cardiometabolic diseases. Central adiposity can be measured relatively inexpensively using ultrasound. Ultrasound has been shown to be precise and reliable, with measurement accuracy comparable to computed tomography and magnetic resonance. Despite the advantages conferred by ultrasound, widespread adoption has been hindered by lack of reliable standard operating procedures. To consolidate the literature and bring clarity to the use of ultrasound‐derived measures of central adiposity, this review outlines (i) the [patho]physiological importance of central adiposity to cardiometabolic disease risk; (ii) an overview of the history and main technical aspects of ultrasound methodology; (iii) key measurement considerations, including transducer selection, subject preparation, image acquisition, image analysis, and operator training; and (iv) guidelines for standardized ultrasound protocols for measuring central adiposity.