Abstract:
Objective To explore the relationship between body fat ratio (BFR), visceral fat area (VFA), body mass index (BMI), and visceral fat density (VFD) and assess their reliability in evaluating the risk of postoperative complications and survival status in patients with gastric cancer.
Methods We conducted a prospective study of 402 patients who underwent gastric cancer surgery at The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College from June 2017 to July 2019. BFR, VFA, BMI, and VFD were measured, and baseline data, clinical information, complications, and survival status were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the optimal BFR threshold and compare the between-group differences.
Results BFR showed a significant positive correlation with VFA and BMI (R=0.784 and R=0.731, respectively; P<0.05) and a significant negative correlation with VFD (R=−0.814; P<0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) values of BFR, VFA, BMI, and VFD for diagnosing postoperative complications were all >0.7, and the optimal cut-off value for BFR was 28.95. The BFR-Low group had fewer postoperative complications, lower intraoperative indicators, a shorter hospitalization time, and lower costs than the BFR-High group (P<0.05). Through validation using multiple models, it has been found that BFR holds significant diagnostic value in predicting complications. The BFR-High group showed better survival outcomes (P<0.05).
Conclusions There was a close association between BFR and BMI, VFA, and VFD. Reasonable control of BFR or moderate increases may contribute to preventing and managing postoperative complications in patients with gastric cancer, thereby improving long-term survival.