VAI blends waist, BMI, triglycerides and HDL into a surrogate for visceral fat function, validated against MRI measured visceral adipose tissue.
VAI score
— index
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- Risk spectrum with your position marked
- Reference ranges from the original publication
- Shareable link, nothing stored
Scientific references
What makes it different
Unlike waist alone, the index weights the fat distribution by its metabolic consequences, because triglycerides rise and HDL falls when visceral fat becomes dysfunctional.
Understanding your result
- Under 2 suggests favorable fat distribution
- 2 to 3 is moderate
- 3 or more correlates with the visceral pattern seen on imaging
Sex differences
Women store more subcutaneous fat at the same waist, so the formula uses entirely separate constants for each sex.
Limitations
It is a statistical surrogate, strongest in Caucasian cohorts, and less precise in athletes and the very lean.