Age-adjusted visceral adiposity index (VAI) is superior to VAI for predicting mortality among US adults: an analysis of the NHANES 2011–2014

Background The association of visceral adiposity with mortality in older adults is conflicting. Whether age influences the predicting ability of visceral adiposity (VAI) for mortality remains unknown. This study uncovered the relationship between age-adjusted visceral adiposity index and mortality through the data of NHANES 2011–2014. Methods This study obtained data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011–2014. The age-adjusted visceral adiposity index (AVAI) scores were expressed as quartiles. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis was also applied to compare the predictive ability for mortality. Multivariate weighted Cox regression models were constructed to explore the association between AVAI and mortality. Kaplan–Meier survival curves were conducted for survival analyses. Smooth curve fittings and two-piecewise linear models were applied to explore the relationships between AVAI and mortality. Results This study recruited 4281 subjects aged ≥ 18 years from the NHANES 2011–2014. The AUCs of AVAI were 0.82 (0.79, 0.86) and 0.89 (0.85, 0.92) for predicting all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality, which were superior to BMI, WC and VAI (all p < 0.05). AVAI is still an independent predictor for mortality adjusted for confounders. The associations of AVAI with all-cause and cardiovascular mortalities were dose-responsive, with higher AVAI scores indicating higher mortality risks. Conclusion Age significantly improves the ability of VAI for predicting all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Age-adjusted VAI is independently associated with mortality risk, and thus could be considered a reliable parameter for assessing mortality risk.