Hormonal
Elevated expression of the collagen VI alpha-3 chain (COL6A3) in human adipose tissue is associated with increased visceral adipose tissue mass, reduced adipocyte size, and heightened macrophage infiltration and inflammation.
High levels of collagen VI in fat tissue are linked to worse metabolic health, including more belly fat and inflammation. While you cannot directly 'take' collagen VI, understanding that obesity involves structural changes in fat tissue (fibrosis) highlights why simple calorie counting might not address inflammation. Interventions that reduce fibrosis, such as pioglitazone (a prescription drug), may help lower these markers, suggesting that tissue health is as important as weight loss.
Obese subjects with high COL6A3 mRNA had greater visceral adipose tissue mass (P < 0.05), lower size of small and medium adipocytes (P < 0.05), more CD68+ and CD163/MAC2+ macrophages, and increased macrophage inflammatory protein-1+ and macrophage chemoattractant protein-1+ mRNA (P < 0.05).
Why this rating
Strong human observational data (n=109) and interventional data (overfeeding, pioglitazone) support the correlation, though causality is suggested rather than definitively proven in humans.
Source
Adipose Tissue Collagen VI in Obesity
Magdalena Pasarica et al. · The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · 2009
DOI 10.1210/jc.2009-0947
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