Relationship Between Body Composition, Body Fat Distribution, And Blood Lipids Among Law Enforcement Officers - Part 2

Law enforcement officers (LEO) have a high-stress occupation prone to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, with 40% of LEOs classified as obese. Evidence suggests that lipid-related CVD risk may be better captured by including advanced blood lipid panels (i.e., cholesterol particle type and size), but more research is needed on the relationship between body composition, body fat distribution, and advanced blood lipid panels in LEOs. PURPOSE: To determine if body composition and fat distribution measures correlate with predictive advanced lipid markers in LEOs. METHODS: Forty-three LEOs (male: n = 40; Female: n = 3; age = 41.7 ± 9.6 yrs; weight = 91.9 ± 15.4 kg; height = 179.8 ± 8.7 cm; VO2max: 37.0 ± 6.1 ml/kg/min) from a local police department were evaluated. Fasted blood samples were collected to assess biomarkers of CVD risk: number of low-density lipoprotein particles (LDL-p), small LDL-p, LDL size (LDL-s), number of high-density lipoprotein particles (HDL-p), large HDL-p, HDL size (HDL-s), number of very low-density lipoprotein particles (VLDL-p), and VLDL size (VLDL-s). Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry was used to measure body composition. Bivariate Pearson correlation matrix and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between body composition and fat distribution. RESULTS: The Bivariate Pearson correlation matrix revealed higher body weight, lean mass, visceral adipose tissue, and gynoid adiposity correlated with several advanced lipid biomarkers. The OLS regression analysis revealed Body weight to be positively predictive (p < 0.05) of LDL-p and small LDL-p but inversely predictive (p < 0.05) of LDL-s, large HDL-p, and HDL-s; Lean mass to be positively predictive of LDL-p, small LDL-p, but inversely predictive of LDL-s, HDL-p, large HDL-p, and HDL-s; Visceral adipose tissue to be positively predictive of small LDL-p and large VLDL-p, but inversely predictive of LDL-s, large HDL-p, and HDL-s; and gynoid fat distribution to be positively predictive of HDL-p, large HDL-p, and HDL-s. CONCLUSION: Body composition changes in LEOs with increased weight and fat distribution correlate with advanced lipid markers, which can predict CVD risk. This provides insight into the relationship of body composition and fat distribution with advanced blood markers of CVD risk.