Upper Trunk Fat Increases Risk of Insulin Resistance

Filed in archive Developments , Research on August 22, 2007

In a previous post, I've discussed what insulin resistance is -a condition that is precursor to type 2 diabetes.

In insulin resistance, cells in the body become increasingly resistant to the action of insulin, a hormone that regulates blood glucose levels. The result is chronically high blood glucose, which has many adverse health effects.

But what increases one's risk of insulin resistance? Previous studies have already pinpointed visceral fat but this is the first study that ever looked into the contribution of upper trunk fat. Upper trunk fat (deposits of fat on the chest and back) has been found associated to increased risk of insulin resistance.

Such were the findings of a San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC)-led study (Study of Fat Redistribution and Metabolic Change in HIV Infection (FRAM)) on HIV infected subjects and HIV negative control subjects.

The presence of visceral fat, which is located between and around the internal organs, was also associated with an increased risk of insulin resistance in both populations. The researchers found that each type of fat contributes independently to insulin resistance whether or not the other type is present.

Even though the findings were found on HIV-positive and HIV-negative population - in both groups - a strong association has been found between upper trunk fat and increased risk of insulin resistance -which just all boils down to fat being bad for you.

Find more details from Science Daily.