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Visceral Fat: The Fat Around Your Organs
All NiaHealth tests are processed in Canadian-certified labs, which are highly trusted by the medical community for their accuracy and reliability. Blood and urine samples are collected by licensed medical professionals and processed using state-of-the-art equipment. NiaHealth is SOC2 Type 2 certified.
What is it?
Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is fat that surrounds mainly your abdominal organs. It is a biologically different tissue from the fat that is under our skin (subcutaneous fat). DEXA scans are one the few ways to measure this type of fat reliably.
Why it matters
VAT levels are strongly associated with unhealthy cholesterol metabolism and poor blood sugar control. Having too much VAT therefore greatly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and earlier mortality. There is also a strong association with visceral adipose tissue and chronic inflammation.
Reference ranges
NiaHealth uses your estimated visceral fat percentage and compares this to others of your same age and sex. This provides us with a percentile that is used to indicate your risk level compared to others in your age/sex category.
- At Risk: NiaHealth defines an at risk VAT as having more fat around their organs and abdomen than 50% of the population when matched for age and sex.
- Normal: NiaHealth defines a normal VAT as having less fat around their organs and abdomen than 50%, but greater fat than 10% of the population when matched for age and sex.
- Optimal: NiaHealth defines an optimal VAT as having less fat around their organs and abdomen than 90% of the population when matched for age and sex.
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This information is educational and does not replace medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Your results should be interpreted with a qualified healthcare professional in the context of your health history.
