High fat stores in ectopic compartments in men with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes: an anthropometric determinant of carotid atherosclerosis and insulin resistance

• Published in: International Journal of Obesity 2010-01, Vol.34 (1), p.105-110
• Main Authors: Kim, S.K, Park, S.W, Hwang, I.J, Lee, Y.K, Cho, Y.W
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abdomen; Adipose Tissue - diagnostic imaging; Adipose Tissue - pathology; Adult; Age; Age composition; Anthropometry; Arteriosclerosis; Atherosclerosis; Atherosclerosis (general aspects, experimental research); Attenuation; Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Body fat; Body Fat Distribution; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cardiovascular disease; Carotid arteries; Carotid Arteries - diagnostic imaging; Carotid Arteries - pathology; Carotid artery; Carotid Artery Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Carotid Artery Diseases - pathology; Causes of; Cholesterol; Compartments; Complications and side effects; Density; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus (non-insulin dependent); Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - diagnostic imaging; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - pathology; Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance; Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases); Endocrinopathies; Epidemiology; Etiopathogenesis. Screening. Investigations. Target tissue resistance; Glucose; Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Humans; Insulin; Insulin Resistance; Internal Medicine; Lipids; Liver; Liver - diagnostic imaging; Liver - pathology; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; men; Metabolic Diseases; Metabolism; Middle age; Middle Aged; Multiple regression analysis; Muscles; Muscles - diagnostic imaging; Muscles - pathology; Musculoskeletal system; noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus; Obesity; Obesity - diagnostic imaging; Obesity - pathology; Observational studies; original-article; Partitioning; Plasma; Public Health; Regression analysis; Resistance factors; Risk factors; Thigh; Tomography; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Type 2 diabetes; Ultrasonography; Veins & arteries; Weight control
• ISSN: 0307-0565; 1476-5497
• DOI: 10.1038/ijo.2009.210

Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze how fat partitioning in the liver, muscle and visceral compartments is altered by diabetes and age, and whether altered fat distribution is associated with a higher carotid artery intima-media thickness (C-IMT) and insulin resistance. Methods: This was an observational study performed on 21 young healthy men (mean age +/- s.d., 28.6 +/- 3.8 years) and 73 men with newly developed type 2 diabetes (38 young (29.2 +/- 4.1 years) and 35 middle-aged (47.1 +/- 6.0 years) subjects). Abdominal visceral and subcutaneous fat areas, mid-thigh muscle attenuation and liver attenuation characteristics were determined; the mid-thigh muscle was divided into low- and normal-density muscle areas. Results: The young and middle-aged diabetic subjects had higher visceral fat areas, higher liver attenuation and higher lipid-rich muscle (greater low-density muscle area and decreased muscle attenuation) when compared with healthy individuals; however, no differences were observed between the two diabetic groups. In contrast, the C-IMT increased with both age and diabetes. On the basis of multiple regression analyses, mid-thigh low-density muscle area and muscle attenuation were independently associated with the C-IMT, and the mid-thigh normal-density muscle area and muscle attenuation were independent factors of insulin resistance. Conclusions: High fat stores within ectopic compartments were observed at an early stage in the development of diabetes. Furthermore, altered lipid partitioning within muscle was independently associated with carotid atherosclerosis and insulin resistance.