Hormonal
In obese adults, higher visceral adipose tissue (VAT) mass is independently associated with adverse metabolic, dyslipidemic, and atherogenic phenotypes, whereas abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) mass shows no independent association with these risks.
For obese individuals, total weight (BMI) is not the whole story. High visceral fat is strongly linked to heart disease and metabolic issues, even if subcutaneous fat is not. While MRI is not yet standard for everyone, this highlights the importance of targeting visceral fat reduction through lifestyle changes to lower cardiometabolic risk, rather than just focusing on total body weight.
VAT associated with an adverse metabolic, dyslipidemic, and atherogenic obesity phenotype. In contrast, SAT demonstrated a more benign phenotype, characterized by modest associations with inflammatory biomarkers and leptin, but no independent association with dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, or atherosclerosis in obese individuals.
Why this rating
Large, multiethnic, population-based cohort (n=1200) with rigorous MRI-based phenotyping and multivariable adjustments, though cross-sectional design limits causal inference.
Source
Associations of visceral and abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue with markers of cardiac and metabolic risk in obese adults
Ian J. Neeland et al. · Obesity · 2013
DOI 10.1002/oby.20135
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