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Visceral Adipose Tissue Is an Independent Correlate of Glucose Disposal in Older Obese Postmenopausal Women¹

Divisions of Clinical Pharmacology and Metabolic Research (M.B., R.D.S., A.T., D.E.M., E.G.-R., E.T.P.) and Cardiology (M.B.), Department of Medicine, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont 05405

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Eric T. Poehlman, Ph.D., Given Building, B-247, Department of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405. E-mail: epoehlma{at}zoo.uvm.edu

Older obese postmenopausal women have an increased risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Increased abdominal obesity may contribute to these comorbidities. There is considerable controversy, however, regarding the effects of visceral adipose tissue as a singular predictor of insulin resistance compared to the other constituents of adiposity. To address this issue, we examined the independent association of regional adiposity and total fat mass with glucose disposal in obese older postmenopausal women. A secondary objective examined the association between glucose disposal with markers of skeletal muscle fat content (muscle attenuation) and physical activity levels.

We studied 44 healthy obese postmenopausal women between 50 and 71 yr of age (mean ± SD, 56.5 ± 5.3 yr). The rate of glucose disposal was measured using the euglycemic/hyperinsulinemic clamp technique. Visceral and sc adipose tissue areas and midthigh muscle attenuation were measured from computed tomography. Fat mass and lean body mass were estimated from dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. Peak VO₂ was measured from a treadmill test to volitional fatigue. Physical activity energy expenditure was measured from indirect calorimetry and doubly labeled water.

Pearson correlations indicated that glucose disposal was inversely related to visceral adipose tissue area (r = -0.40; P < 0.01), but not to sc adipose tissue area (r = 0.17), total fat mass (r = 0.05), midthigh muscle attenuation (r = 0.01), peak VO₂ (r = -0.22), or physical activity energy expenditure (r = -0.01). The significant association persisted after adjusting visceral adipose tissue for fat mass and abdominal sc adipose tissue levels (r = -0.45; P < 0.005; in both cases). Additional analyses matched two groups of women for fat mass, but with different visceral adipose tissue levels. Results showed that obese women with high visceral adipose tissue levels (283 ± 59 vs. 137 ± 24 cm²; P < 0.0001) had a lower glucose disposal per kg lean body mass compared to those with low visceral adipose tissue levels (0.44 ± 0.14 vs. 0.66 ± 0.28 mmol/kg·min; P < 0.05).

Visceral adipose tissue is an important and independent predictor of glucose disposal, whereas markers of skeletal muscle fat content or physical activity exhibit little association in obese postmenopausal women.

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