Research

Hormonal

Dysfunctional adipocytes in T2DM produce excessive insulin-resistant and inflammatory cytokines (e.g., resistin, TNF-alpha, IL-6, PAI-1) and secrete reduced amounts of insulin-sensitizing adipocytokines (e.g., adiponectin).

Fat tissue acts as an endocrine organ. In Type 2 Diabetes, fat cells become 'dysfunctional,' releasing too many inflammatory signals (like TNF-alpha and IL-6) that worsen insulin resistance, while releasing too few protective signals (like adiponectin) that help insulin work. This imbalance contributes to the progression of the disease.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Dysfunctional fat cells produce excessive amounts of insulin resistance-inducing, inflammatory, and atherosclerotic-provoking cytokines and fail to secrete normal amounts of insulin-sensitizing adipocytokines.
Harold Bays et al. · The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · 2004

Why this rating

The paper reviews multiple studies linking these cytokines to insulin resistance and inflammation.

Source

Role of the Adipocyte, Free Fatty Acids, and Ectopic Fat in Pathogenesis of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Peroxisomal Proliferator-Activated Receptor Agonists Provide a Rational Therapeutic Approach

Harold Bays et al. · The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · 2004

DOI 10.1210/jc.2003-030723

narrative_reviewCited 667×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →