Exploring the heterogeneity of hepatic and pancreatic fat deposition in obesity: implications for metabolic health

• Published in: Frontiers in endocrinology (Lausanne) 2024-10, Vol.15, p.1447750
• Main Authors: Deng, Ming, Li, Zhen, Chen, Shangyu, Wang, Huawei, Sun, Li, Tang, Jun, Luo, Liman, Zhang, Xiaoxiao, Xu, Haibo, Dai, Zhe
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Endocrinology; fat deposition heterogeneity; Female; Humans; Insulin Resistance; Intra-Abdominal Fat - diagnostic imaging; Intra-Abdominal Fat - metabolism; Liver - diagnostic imaging; Liver - metabolism; Liver - pathology; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Middle Aged; non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - metabolism; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - pathology; non-alcoholic fatty pancreas disease; obesity; Obesity - complications; Obesity - metabolism; Obesity - pathology; Pancreas - diagnostic imaging; Pancreas - metabolism; Pancreas - pathology; Pancreatic Diseases - metabolism; Pancreatic Diseases - pathology; Retrospective Studies
• ISSN: 1664-2392; 1664-2392
• DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1447750

This retrospective observational study investigates the heterogeneity of hepatic and pancreatic fat deposition and its implications for metabolic health in individuals with obesity. A total of 706 patients with obesity underwent an MRI to quantify liver and pancreatic fat. Patients were classified into four groups based on fat deposition: no fat (None), fatty pancreas only (NAFPD), fatty liver only (NAFLD), and both conditions (NAFLD+NAFPD). Biochemical profiles, insulin resistance (Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance, HOMA-IR), and β-cell function were analyzed. A series of multiple linear regressions were used to investigate the independent effects of characteristics on glucose, insulin, and C-peptide at 0h. Another multiple linear regression was performed to evaluate the effects of basic characteristics on average liver fat, mean pancreatic fat, and visceral fat. The majority (76.63%) exhibited both NAFLD and NAFPD, highlighting the heterogeneity of fat deposition among individuals with obesity. Groups with fatty liver displayed significantly higher fasting glucose, insulin, C-peptide, and HOMA-IR levels than those without fatty liver (P < 0.01). Fatty pancreas alone did not significantly influence these metabolic parameters (P > 0.05). This underscores the greater metabolic impact of hepatic fat compared to pancreatic fat. The study confirms the complex heterogeneity of fat deposition in obesity, with the fatty liver being a more influential factor in metabolic disturbances than the fatty pancreas. The prevalent co-occurrence of NAFLD and NAFPD in this population underscores the need for targeted management strategies focusing on hepatic fat reduction to mitigate metabolic risk.