Magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the frontal region in patients with metabolic syndrome: correlation with anthropometric measurement

PURPOSE: To demonstrate (1)H-MR spectroscopy of the frontal region in patients with metabolic syndrome and to correlate the metabolic ratios with anthropometric measurement. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A prospective study was conducted upon 20 patients with metabolic syndrome (10 male, 10 female; mean age 52 years) and 20 age- and sex-matched volunteers. Patients were mild-moderate (n = 14) and marked and morbid obesity (n = 6). Patients and volunteers underwent (1)H-MR spectroscopy of the frontal region. The Ch/Cr and NAA/Cr ratio were calculated and correlated with anthropometric measurement. RESULTS: The Cho/Cr and NAA/Cr of patients with Mets (1.03 ± 0.08 and 1.62 ± 0.08) were significantly different (p = 0.001) to those of volunteers (0.78 ± 0 and 1.71 ± 0.61, respectively). The Cho/Cr and NAA/Cr cutoffs used to differentiate patients from volunteers were 0.89 and 1.77 with areas under the curve of 0.992 and 0.867 and accuracy of 97% and 93%, respectively. There was a significant difference in Cho/Cr and NAA/Cr between patients with marked-morbid obesity and moderate-mild obesity (p = 0.001 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr ratios of the frontal region can differentiate patients with metabolic syndrome from volunteers and are well correlated with the anthropometric measurement.