Visceral and subcutaneous fat changes in diabetes correlated negatively with physical activity
The visceral and subcutaneous fat changes in type 1 diabetes were negatively correlated with physical activity.
In a recently published article, scientists in the United States conducted a study “to evaluate the effects of improved glycaemic control on the abdominal visceral and subcutaneous fat in type 1 diabetes. Sixteen subjects were enrolled for this 6-month study. The goal was to achieve normal haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c <5.6% in our laboratory).”
A.N. Jacob and colleagues at the University of Texas described, “T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure the abdominal subcutaneous and visceral fat areas at the L2-L3 disk level. Activity and energy intake were assessed using a weekly recall and food diary respectively. Plasma leptin, ghrelin and adiponectin levels were measured at baseline and at 6 months.”
Text continued belowThe authors reported, “Twelve subjects completed the study. HbA1c was 10.4±2.2% at baseline, and abdominal visceral to subcutaneous fat ratio was 0.29±0.15. HbA1c dropped to 8.0±1.4% at 6 months (p=0.009). There was a +1.85 kg weight change in 6 months (p=0.30), whereas the visceral to subcutaneous fat ratios changed to 0.36±0.18 (p=0.22).
“Daily metabolic equivalents (METs) of activity at 6 months correlated with a decrease in the visceral to subcutaneous fat ratios (r=-0.80, p=0.01). Ghrelin level changes correlated negatively with the changes in the visceral to subcutaneous fat ratio (p<0.01).”
The researchers concluded, “The visceral to subcutaneous fat changes had a negative correlation with the physical activity METs at 6 months but not with HbA1c changes in this study. The correlation between the changes in ghrelin and the visceral to subcutaneous fat ratios is intriguing, but a larger study may be needed to confirm this finding.”
Jacob and colleagues published their study in Diabetes Obesity & Metabolism (The visceral and subcutaneous fat changes in type 1 diabetes: a pilot study. Diabetes Obes Metab, 2006;8(5):524-530).
For additional information, contact P. Raskin, University of Texas, SW Med Center, Dept. of Internal Medical, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd. G4-100, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.