Adipose tissue cellularity--metabolic aspects. The population study of women in Göteborg 1974-1975.

A representative population sample of middle-aged women was studied in 1974-75. In a subsample, body composition and adipose tissue cellularity variables were determined and individuals with a particular clinical disorder were compared with the total subsample. Women with diabetes mellitus had more body fat and higher fat cell weights and larger fat cell members, whereas these variables did not differ in women with IHD or hypertension compared with the total subsample. Total body fat correlated with arterial BPs, fasting blood glucose, serum lipids and serum uric acid. The correlations were stronger than those reported previously by us between weight index and these variables. In univariate analyses, fat cell weight correlated with systolic BP, serum triglycerides and serum uric acid, and fat cell number with diastolic BP, fasting blood glucose and serum uric acid. In multivariate analyses, when due allowance was made for total body fat, the correlations between these variables and fat cell weight or fat cell number did not reach statistical significance.